Relations, Revelations
by SolitaryAries
Summary: Outbursts lead to letters, quidditch leads to the final battle, and tragedy leads to romance. When the worst is over, how can you be expected to go on the way things were? (non-romantic HPSS relationship; HPGW, RWOC, HG?, etc)
1. Introduction

This is my first Harry Potter story, and it's been met with a bit of success on another fan fiction site. I'm not claiming any greatness or originality (I mean, come on, I had to borrow from the goddess JK Rowling to crank this thing out) but I do hope you enjoy my little foray into the world of Hogwarts. My only requests are that you approach this with an open mind, you don't sue me for my humble efforts, and that you review a LOT :-D This thing originated as me testing out a few of my book 6 theories. The central theory will be presented in chapter 1, and from there I sort of run with it. In reality, I've got the VAST majority of this story written, so hopefully updates will be fairly regular.

Erm, fair warning, there's a bit of light smut later on (I'm really no good at writing it, so it's nothing serious) so if you're easily squicked, I'll warn you to skip the chapters. If you're too young to read smut, how'd you pass the R rating anyway?! You should be ashamed of yourselves! (Erm, I'm not mad. I'm just going to reach out of the monitor and cover your young eyes).

That said, kick back with a cup of the hot beverage of your choice (cocoa got me through writing this) and enjoy!

**Relations, Revelations**

----  
  
Introduction  
  
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"Potter, put your hand down. I will not entertain questions until I am finished explaining the potion."   
  
"Um, Sir, I just…"   
  
"PUT YOUR BLOODY HAND DOWN! Now is not the time!" Snape shouted, giving Harry one of his famous death-glares.  
  
"But you're about to…" Harry's feeble attempt at interjecting only served to infuriate the already-furious Professor even more.   
  
"DOWN! One more HINT of elevation of ANY of your limbs and your house will lose fifty points!"  
  
"Professor Snape, you're about to add bat's wing instead of gnat's wing!" Harry jumped out of his seat, leaning determinedly over his desk, fists firmly glued down and knuckles turning white.   
  
Snape glowered at the boy, glanced at the bottle in his hand, set it down, and poisoned the classroom with a sweeping gaze, his face white with rage.   
  
"Mr. Potter." The tone in which he spoke was frighteningly calm and icy. "You are not in this class to point out the unbearably obvious. You. Are. Here. To. Learn. Twenty-six years experience on my part does not equal five years on your part."  
  
"I'm sor…"  
  
"I will NOT be accepting apologies for your outrageous behavior! I have dealt with your rubbish for five and a half years, not to mention your FATHER'S rubbish for the last thirty-seven! He was a selfish, egocentric, show-off, good-for-nothing prat of a know-it-all who drove me to the brink of insanity, as are you! You remind me of him more and more with EVERY passing day! Your bland sense of humor, your innocuously fake charm, right down to your RATTY BLACK HAIR!!! You bloody picked up right where he left off!"  
  
Harry looked through Snape as if he wasn't there for a moment, eyes slightly widened in shock.  
  
"Excuse me." He got up and left the room.   
  
Snape let out a sigh of indignation and sat down at his desk, taking a sip from the coffee mug full of fire whisky he kept on hand just in case of occasions like this one. His class just stared at him in shock.  
  
"Well what are you all staring at? The instructions are on the board. Get to work!"  
  
He ran his hand through his black hair and rested his head on his hand, fingers still entwined in his tresses.


	2. Ch 1 Revelations

Here comes the warning about being open-minded. Forget what Harry saw in the pensive about Snape's parents. Not too big a sacrifice, right? (nervous giggle)

----  
  
Chapter 1 - Relations   
  
----  
  
Snape sighed, took another comforting swig of fire whiskey, and put quill to parchment:   
  
Harry,   
  
I deeply apologise for my callous and bitter response to your prudent warning in my potions class today. It was wholly unjustified. By no means do I have the right to humiliate you and attack your character, as well as that of your father in front of your peers. However, I believe I owe you an explanation for my actions. I am not asking for forgiveness, only for your time and consideration.  
Last year, during my occlumency lessons, you discovered some unsavory details of your father's and my life at Hogwarts. Our actions can be explained only as sibling rivalry and deep envy.   
I am certain that as you grew up, you questioned your lineage. I hope to offer you some enlightenment regarding that topic. Your grandparents were Harold Potter and Marella Lestrange, great aunt of Rodolphus Lestrange. Marella was a prideful woman, and was never pleased with her kindly husband. Together, they bore a son, your father. Harold doted on him endlessly, and Marella became embittered. She strayed from him and found solace with Cyrill Snape, a greatly feared yet highly respected vampire. I was the ill-begotten product of that brief affair. When Marella became pregnant, Cyrill threw her out and swore never to speak with her again. She returned to Harold, and he forgave her, promising to raise her child as his own.   
Unfortunately, Marella died in childbirth shortly thereafter, leaving Harold to raise James and myself until we were old enough to attend Hogwarts. James, naturally, was always Harold's favorite, and he sought out his father's attention like a well-trained puppy. Harold fell ill, and tried to keep James at his side for as long as possible, but was eventually forced to send both of us to Hogwarts. James, being two years older than the rest of his classmates, thrived on popularity and attention, as well as success on the Quidditch pitch. I remained a bookworm and studied potions in-depth with Professor Alvreight under the encouragement of Professor Dumbledore.   
Being written off as a bookworm is no fair title, as you have noticed from your friend Hermione. James and his friends found the deepest pleasure in torturing me, as older siblings are often compelled to do. But his actions bordered on outright cruelty. I found solace in a fellow bookworm, your mother.  
I soon found myself in love with Lily Evans. We had become best friends during our first year, dated on and off through fourth and fifth, and by the time sixth year rolled around, she had ignored me in favor of your father. She defended me less and less to him, until finally, she joined in on the insults. I became more and more resentful, and when your father proposed to your mother at graduation, I left and took the Dark Mark.   
I left Voldemort after the death of your parents. No amount of fear or dedication could have tied me to the man who killed my brother and the love of my life.   
Needless to say, my past has left me a cynical, angry shell of a man. Again, my apologies for my harsh words in class. Enlightened as you now are, I will leave you to your own thoughts. Know that despite our ties, I am compelled to treat you no differently as a student.   
  
Professor Severus Snape  
  
Potions, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
----  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Well what?"  
  
"Is that suitable enough to send to the boy?"  
  
"I don't know, Severus. You tell me. Do you find that suitable?"  
  
"Quit being Socratic, Albus." Snape sat in an overstuffed and rather comfortable chair at Dumbledore's desk, rubbing his left temple pensively.  
  
"Tea?" Dumbledore asked, while puttering around with his tea set in a corner of the office behind his desk.  
  
Snape nodded. "Strong and black."  
  
Dumbledore moved around from behind his desk carrying the cups on their saucers. He crossed the room and continued to talk while he handed Snape his tea, then sat down in the second guest's chair and proceeded to stir heaping teaspoonfuls of sugar into his own.   
  
"Severus, it is entirely up to you. He's your nephew. Do you consider your admission to be a necessary attribute of your apology for your outburst in class? It is, after all, a secret which you have harbored for years in order to protect the both of you."  
  
"I suppose I've always felt compelled to tell the boy, but never found a chance. Or a reason that was good enough to put both myself and the boy at risk."  
  
"Why did you snap at him to begin with? And find something else to call him besides 'the boy.'"  
  
"I suppose I've just been having a bad day, considering the meeting with Voldemort last night. Of course, I filled you in on everything when I got back. It's all still a haze, really. I just know the Dark Lord has called for an increase on attacks, focused on halfbloods and disloyal purebloods. He's gone beyond his usual anti-muggle mania. I wouldn't be surprised if the final battle were upon us. But I digress. I woke up with a headache yet again, the first years could not comprehend the idea of stirring twice counterclockwise, Professor Sprout brought me asphodel instead of ginger root, hardly interchangeable, and Longbottom melted another cauldron…" That had only been half the truth. In addition, he had caught Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley snogging violently under a tree by the lake during lunch break, something that made his blood boil like the Cruciatus at the mere thought.   
  
"That was Lily and my spot fifth year, the rotten little fink," he thought bitterly to himself. "Point taken. And then some." Dumbledore accepted Snape's reasonable explanation, adding the usual twinkle in his eye for good measure.   
  
"I suppose I just saw the opportunity and let loose."  
  
"So suppose Harry reads your letter and decides to pursue a deeper relationship with his newfound uncle? Would you follow through?"  
  
"Potter? Wanting to pursue a deeper relationship with me? Of all people he could grow closer to, I highly doubt he would choose me."  
  
"My dear boy, I believe he would cling to any relative handed to him. He lost Sirius only last year. Not to mention the loss of his parents so early in life, and the trauma inflicted upon him by his aunt and uncle. But theoretically, if he pursued, would you go along?"  
  
"Theoretically, I would. The boy is bursting with enthusiasm for everything he learns. If I wasn't such a prat to him and backed off in the classroom a bit, I'm sure he'd take to potions beautifully."  
  
"Severus, put education aside for a moment. Would you feel any bitterness regarding his father?"  
  
"Of course I would! His father was a boil on my rear from the moment I was born until the moment he died!" He caught his temper just before another explosion, paused for a moment, and considered a more tactful course to take.   
  
"The resemblance between Harry and his father only runs slightly deeper than the flesh. They do look uncannily alike, and the younger Potter does have a certain disregard for the rules, just like his father. But that can be explained by the mere fact that he is a Gryffindor. His father never had the deep enthusiasm and genuine thirst to excel in the classroom that he has. James was always one to strive for popularity at any cost. Harry does not stoop to outrageous levels to elevate himself. I do believe I could lay bitterness aside and pursue a deeper relationship with my nephew."  
  
"That's about as good an explanation as you would ever entitle yourself to, isn't it Severus? Deliver the letter. Would you like to borrow Fawkes?"


	3. Ch 2 Revelations

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Chapter 2 - Revelations   
  
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A chilly March wind had kicked up across the lake and clouds were beginning to roll in across the mountains. Harry leapt down from his perch on a rock overlooking the lake, wrapped his robes tighter around himself, and picked up his books which he had haphazardly thrown on the ground in a fit of fury four hours before. If that stupid, arrogant, sorry-arsed excuse for a scientist had only listened to him… Wasn't that one of the key principles of scientific research? To listen to one's colleagues for input? For crying out loud, he was only trying to save the git's life. Everyone knows how volatile bat's wing can be when put in the wrong potion. Was it his fault if Snape's stupid greasy hair got in his stupid greasy face and blocked his view of the lable on the bottle? With a deep sigh, he took hold of a tree root, swung himself back up onto the the dirt ledge above his favorite thinking rock, and made his way back to the path that led to the school.   
  
He arrived back in the common room shortly thereafter and stood by the fire for a moment to thaw back out.  
  
"Hiya Harry."  
  
Grunt.  
  
"Where have you been hiding? You missed dinner."  
  
Another grunt.  
  
"Come on, Mate. Something bothering you?"  
  
"No. Nothing's wrong. I saved Snape's sorry arse, and I'll probably wind up in detention. I'm absolutely fantastic, Ron. Thanks for asking."  
  
"I'm only trying to help."  
  
Harry let out yet another exasperated sigh. They were really becoming too many to count today. Running a hand through his unruly hair, he looked back at his friend.  
  
"I know. I'm sorry. You know how it is."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Be back down in a bit." He took the steps to his dormitory two at a time.  
  
Harry arrived in the dormitory to change out of his uncomfortable school uniform and into a pair of jeans and a comfortable wooly jumper for an evening in the common room with his friends. He dropped his pile of books to the floor and pushed them under his bed with his foot. Tossing his robes across his chair, he caught a glance at his reflection in the mirror. Where had the bags under his eyes come from? Did they just appear suddenly, or were they the effect of years of emotional torment? Just as he was untying his crimson and gold tie, he glanced down at his bed and found a scroll of parchment addressed to him in neat, official-looking penmanship with a Slytherin seal holding it shut. Fearing the worst, he broke the glimmering green wax seal of the scroll open with his wand. He unrolled it, sitting down on his bed to read, thinking it would be a reprimand from Snape and a detention notice. He read the first few lines, and allowed his face to fall. After a few minutes of stunned silence, he gathered his thoughts and made his way down to the common room.  
  
----  
  
"Ron? Hermione?"  
  
"That was quick. Want to play winner?" Ron gestured to the chess board and cheerfully greeted his friend who was slowly coming back down the stairs to the common room.  
  
"Do you two have a moment?" They looked up at him from their chess game. Hermione frowned.  
  
"Something wrong?"  
  
"I… I suppose. I don't know if wrong's the word. I just need to talk to someone, preferably in private."  
  
"Where d'you want to go?" Inquired Ron. "The common room's a bit full, not to mention dead noisy."  
  
"Yeah. Our room? Hermione's allowed in there, right?" Harry asked, referring to the incident a few years ago when they went sliding back down the warded staircase to the girls' dormitories.   
  
The other two gathered their cloaks and headed up to the sixth year boys' dormitory while Harry led the way. He checked their room to ensure that Seamus and Dean weren't around. They entered, leaving the door open a crack so things wouldn't look too fishy with a girl in the boys' dormitory. Hermione sat on Ron's bed and Harry sat on his own while Ron crossed his arms and leaned against the wall between the two.  
  
"I found this on my bed when I came up here." He handed the letter to Hermione. Ron joined her on the bed. The two read the letter, and an awkward pause followed while Hermione waited for Ron to finish.  
  
"So where do I go from here?"  
  
"Dunno really. Wait for Snape to say something?" Ron suggested.  
  
"He already has said something. So I guess it's your move, Harry. Or you wait for a situation to arise. I mean, this all really isn't that relevant. It doesn't change much… unless Snape's expecting something… maybe it's about Voldemort."   
  
Ron cringed. "You know I hate it when you call him that."  
  
Harry and Hermione ignored him. "Oh sure, Hermione, that would be great. I'm standing there, face to face with Voldemort, when Snape goes, 'Let me handle that for you, my boy! I shall not let you perish!'" he said, putting on a mock-hero voice and flexing a somewhat-developed bicep. "I'm gonna have to face the git every day, you know. I suppose I should stop calling him git now, huh? I mean, he's my uncle." Harry snorted. "Uncle Snape. Uncle Severus. Uncle Sevvie-kins." He tried the various names on for size, but still screwed up his face in the end.  
  
A quiet knock sounded at the partially opened door, and Ginny poked her head through.  
  
"Neville said you'd be up here. Mind if I join you? It's dead boring downstairs. Nothing but first years playing exploding snap."  
  
Ginny sat down on the bed next to Harry, looking curiously at everyone's long faces as he handed her the letter. Casually, he put an arm around her waist as she leaned her head into the crook of his neck while reading. Her eyes grew progressively wider as they traveled down the page.   
  
"So, you've found yourself a new relative then?"  
  
Ron filled in the fuzzy details. "Yeah, and it's Snape, no less. Apparently he hates Harry because he reminds him too much of his dad."   
  
"I caught that, Ronald. Thank you for enlightening me." Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother and changed the subject to what everyone would be doing over the approaching Easter holidays. She knew her boyfriend would hate to dwell on his newest discovery and pushed the conversation forward.  
  
"So Hermione, where are you and the folks headed off to this year?"  
  
"My parents want to get an early jump on looking around at some of the wizarding Universities. There's one in Ireland that I've grown particularly fond of. I think we may check out the one in Rome too."  
  
"What, not Bulgaria?" Ron rolled his eyes and tutted.  
  
"Oh bugger off, Weasley." Hermione punched his arm.  
  
"You'll have to be a bit more specific there, 'Mi." Ginny teased. "So have you heard from Krum at all lately?"  
  
"No, but it's not like he's much of a loss. It's a wonder he had two brain cells to rub together, what with all the bludgers he's taken over the years."  
  
"You know, I don't think he did," Ginny pointed out. "Ron, didn't dad want to take us to Diagon Alley to check out that new Muggle History museum?"  
  
"Yeah, I think he knows the owner, Mr. Ringwill or whatever his name was. Probably wants to talk him into letting him display his plug collection."  
  
"So, did your dad ever find out what rubber ducks are for?" Harry asked. He remembered Ron's dad being quite curious about them during the summer before his second year.   
  
"No, but I bought him one just to see what he'd do. Mum said she walked in on him in the bath once, and caught him singing to it."  
  
"Rubber ducky, you're the one. You make bath time lots of fun…" Hermione faded to a hum, a smirk sprawled across her face, squashing her cheeks up to her eye sockets, obviously suppressing an all-out hysterical gigglefit.   
  
"How'd you know?" Ron asked, surprised.  
  
"Muggle thing. I suspect he got his department to do some research for him. Very, erm, intellectual." Hermione glanced at Harry, whose face was also contorted into a knowing grin.   
  
A loud grumbling sound resonated through the room and Harry blushed furiously, arms clutched around his waist.   
  
"That's what I get for missing dinner."  
  
The four chatted well into the night, but the girls were forced to leave when Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan started giving them dirty looks. Neville didn't seem to mind, as his crush on Harry's girlfriend was common knowledge around Gryffindor tower. 


	4. Ch 3 Obsessions

First off, big thank yous to BLAZE... and ChicagoMyth for the words of encouragement :) If you haven't noticed, I'm TRYING to post a chapter a day. If I miss a day, it'll be two chapters the next day. I'd like to have this thing up before the end of July, other wise I'll have to post from Germany, and that won't be easy because I'll have better things to do. Okay, read on and enjoy!

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Chapter 3 - Obsessions   
  
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The action of eating breakfast typically isn't too exciting, but this morning, Hermione gazed enthralled at Professor Snape. He poked and prodded at his breakfast, lifting his fried egg with his fork and looking under it as if expecting to find a lost Shakespearian sonnet. He glared maliciously into his glass of orange juice, apparently trying to dissolve the pulp by means of telekinesis or intimidation, whichever proved more functional. He even ripped his roll in half and violently buttered it, nearly stabbing himself in the hand a few times. Typically, Snape expressed his anger through harshly spoken words in his frighteningly-cool tone, but never physically like this. Hermione's observation of Snape's every move was nothing out of the ordinary in the world of her secret obsession. But the way he demolished his meal without ever taking a bite was new to her. She was captivated, but worried.   
  
Snape sent a scowl across the room at no one in particular, but ended up catching the eye of one Harry Potter. Harry smiled at him. How dare the boy have the audacity to smile at him? Harry broke their eye contact to continue talking animatedly with Ginny. Stupid petty childish romance. Childish conversation. Everything his nephew did was childish. Why couldn't he grow up? The boy was sixteen years old. When Severus was sixteen, he was mixing potions that could cure most modern diseases, he could transfigure anything that stood still long enough for him to transfigure it, and most importantly, he was in love with the most beautiful creature to ever cross his path. She, of course, wouldn't give him the time of day, well not anymore at least, but he loved her nonetheless. Now Harry Potter was in love with the second most beautiful creature to ever cross his path. Did the wonders never cease?  
  
James Potter had stolen his spotlight, his dignity, and the one woman who had ever captivated his heart. Now his good-for-nothing offspring was stealing his second chance at love right out from under his nose. Ginevra Weasley. Uninhibited, vivacious, feisty, breathtaking in every manner, mature beyond her years, and downright delightful to look at. It would be many, many years before age would take its toll on her flawless form. He couldn't help but think of how time had chiseled away at his own form until he was nothing more than a cold and bitter shell of a man. No wonder she had run to Potter. What could a sour, vile, former Death Eater, thirty-seven year old curmudgeon offer such a stunning girl?   
  
Age meant very little in the wizarding world. Hell, Albus Dumbledore, who was teetering at the edge of a century and a half, did very little to conceal his relationship with the hundred-year-old Minerva McGonagall. That was fully fifty years difference. But Severus knew he was a crotchety old coot, not to mention that Ginny Weasley was his student, and a damn bright one at that. No one would ever, could ever, want him. He took at violent stab at one of the sausages on his plate. Fie it all. He dropped his silverware and stood from the table, heart set on storming back to his potions laboratory and taking away house points at anything and anyone that got in his way. Not that anyone gave a hoot whether he was at breakfast or not.  
  
But across the room, a pair of light brown eyes studied his every move.  
  
"Earth to Hermione?" Ron prodded.  
  
"Ground control to Major Tom?" Harry quipped.  
  
"What are you talking about, Harry?" the redhead inquired, quite confused.  
  
"Muggle thing. Mione?"  
  
"I'm sorry. What were you saying?" She quit idly drowning her raisins in her oatmeal and tore her gaze from the staff door through which Snape had just passed.  
  
"How should Harry and I die today? I want to be decapitated, but he wants to drown. Any ideas?"  
  
"You're completely morbid."  
  
"Am not! It's for divinations!"  
  
"I might have guessed. That class is such rubbish. Why can't you two discuss something more substantial, like potions?" Harry twisted his face. "Anyway, I have to write a conclusion for my Muggle Studies paper regarding the importance of monarchies before class. I'll see you two in transfigurations."   
  
She got out of her seat, picked up her bag, and took a few steps before turning around to face the boys again. "By the way, I think you should be poisoned."  
  
----  
  
Classes went as expected on any given Friday. The students were wound up with anticipation for the quidditch game to take place on Sunday between Ravenclaw and Slytherin. After a boring lecture on colonialism in Muggle Studies, Hermione went to Transfigurations. Nothing exciting happened there, unless you considered transfiguring feather dusters into birds exciting. Ron managed to make his duster squawk, and Harry's sprouted wings and legs. Neville's fell apart and the individual feathers flew away. Seamus's caught fire (because some things never change.) Hermione was so distracted that her bird wound up flying around dusting Professor McGonagall's shelves. She feared her grade would suffer because she didn't clear up her duster's behavioral issues. After that, it was off to another exciting round of double potions. Snape had been on edge all through class, and took away twenty points from Gryffindor strictly through Harry, though Neville had given him plenty of opportunities. Surprisingly, Neville's potion turned out well, without help from Hermione. Maybe it was because of his obvious preoccupation with a certain red-headed fifth year, not to mention a burning desire to succeed to impress her. She sighed and gazed at the old bitter professor, enchanted by his graceful movements as he stormed around his classroom. Such a callous man on the outside simply had to have a deliciously soft core inside. There was no way he wasn't hiding something.  
  
----  
  
Snape sighed and sat down in an overstuffed leather wingback chair in his private rooms. Upon first glance, he looked relaxed, content, and everything was perfect. He sat gazing into his fireplace, snifter of brandy in one hand and idly rubbing his chin with the other. Below the surface, he was a swirling tide of emotion, and nearly all of them could be traced back to Harry 'how can I play hero today' Potter.   
  
----  
  
Up in the Gryffindor common room, students relaxed after a grueling week of studies. No witch or wizard had ever claimed that learning magic was easy. Some played wizard chess and exploding snap, others gossiped in front of the fire, and some absentmindedly flipped through books, newspapers, or magazines. One couple was curled up on the couch in the corner, surrounded by their friends.   
  
"So who'd you reckon will win on Sunday?"  
  
"Slytherin. Hands down." Ron slapped the table. He could get so animated when talking quidditch. "I hate them, but they're just too bloody good this year."  
  
"I still think Ravenclaw's got an incredible team going for them this time around." Ginny wasn't much better, what with growing up in a house full of boys.  
  
"Ravenclaw, love? Honestly, I'd venture to say you've fallen off your broom one too many times." Harry teased, tickling her. But she defended herself nicely and elbowed him in the ribs. When Harry was allowed to come back to quidditch for sixth year, Ginny was put into the spot that Katie Bell had vacated among the chasers.   
  
"Think about it. Malfoy couldn't catch a snitch to save his life." Of course, Harry knew a quality seeker when he saw one. Everyone knew he was the best Hogwarts had seen in years. Though he was only in his sixth year, he was being scouted by the pros already.  
  
"She's got a point there. That punk's got his head so far up his arse he could see his tonsils, but certainly not the snitch." Ron's eyes lit up, as he found immense pleasure in harassing Draco behind his back. The group joined him in a good laugh at Malfoy's expense.  
  
"But with Crabbe and Goyle in for Derrick and Bole as beaters this year, those Ravenclaw chasers don't stand a chance. Those two are brutal," Neville piped up from his spot on the floor by Ron's chair.   
  
"Trust Snape to let those two oafs on the team," Ginny quipped.   
  
"You can't blame Professor Snape. It's Pucey's fault for letting them come anywhere near a bludger bat." The group's eyes widened at Hermione for her correct use of a quidditch term.  
  
"Y-y-you… you… you just said bludger bat! I-i-i-in correct context! The Apocalypse has started!!!" Ron stammered, nearly falling out of his chair and landing on Neville's lap.  
  
"Merlin knows I hang out with you lot too much." Hermione rolled her eyes and crossed her legs the other way to face away from the group.  
  
"Right, well, that just made my night. I really doubt anything can top that. I'm turning in. I'll see you guys tomorrow morning." Regaining sanity, Ron stood up, gave his sister a warm pat on the shoulder, tousled Harry's hair in exchange for a sneer, said his goodnights, and went up the stairs to the boy's dorms.   
  
The group's conversation slowly died down from that point, and other students were clearing out of the common room. It was down to Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Neville.   
  
"Okay, I'm tired. I'll fully admit it." Hermione stood, stretched, and made no effort to stifle a wide, gaping yawn. "I'm turning in. Until breakfast." She left too.  
  
Neville was obviously not tired.  
  
"So, Professor Sprout reckons that my mimbulus mimbletonia will be in full bloom by next week!" The couple on the couch glared at him. Apparently they had their own plans for the evening. He was oblivious. "She says that once the blossoms dry up and drop off, we'll be able to get a batch of alertness potion brewed up. That is, of course, if Professor Snape will let us borrow his lab for an evening. But since the potion is for the Order, I doubt he'll turn us down." They continued to glare.  
  
Harry interrupted Neville's overconfident ramblings. "Neville. You realize this is Snape you're talking about, right? He only knows you as a cauldron-melter."  
  
"But I've gotten better! You know I have, Harry! You saw the one I made today? That thing at LEAST deserves an A! Gran'll be so proud!"  
  
"Neville. Why don't you go up to your room and think about it for a bit." Ginny continued glaring at him. A light in his head clicked on. He stood up, smirked at Ginny, winked at Harry, and crept up to his room.   
  
"I thought we'd never get rid of them." Ginny nuzzled into Harry's neck.

----

Ok, fair warning. Smut next chapter. Two consenting teenagers. Once you admit to yourself that teenagers have sex whether you like it or not, it's a lot easier to read. I promise not to to use any of those horrid 4-letter words (like cock, cunt, spunk, etc) all those icky words. It's just two people who are very much in love having a bit of fun. But that's next chapter. Thought I'd let you know so you can skip the chapter if you get squicked.


	5. Ch 4 Keeping

I'll warn you again: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SMUT. Nothing serious and horribly discriptive, but a scene between two consenting adolescents who are very much in love, nontheless. If you are easily squicked, bug out now. Come back for tomorrow's installment. All you need to know is that Harry and his dear redheaded girlfriend get it on. End of chapter for you. For the rest of you, read on.

Mmkay?

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Chapter 4 - Keeping   
  
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Harry put a finger under her chin and tilted her face up to his.  
  
"You are so beautiful," he mumbled, before pressing his lips softly against his girlfriend's, pulling her over to sit on his lap. She licked his lips, begging for entrance, and their tongues swirled in a timeless dance. Harry would have been more than content with a good makeout session for the evening, but Ginny had other ideas. She slowly ground her hips against his, eliciting an unintelligible vocal response from him. Pulling back from their kiss, she looked Harry square in the eye.  
  
"Harry, love. Will you respect me in the morning?" The twinkle in her eyes let him know this was all in fun.  
  
"When have I not?" He smirked.   
  
"True." She playfully kissed his nose, then made her way back down to his lips, kissing him with more enthusiasm than before. She slid her hands up his sides under his wooly jumper, then slowly raked her nails back down, before scooping it into her hands. She pulled it over his head, only breaking the kiss momentarily.   
  
"Well if that's where this is going, Circumage Hostis." He swished his wand a few times in the general direction of the door and the staircase.  
  
"What was that for?"  
  
"If anyone tries to come into the room, they'll be distracted. Same thing they used on the Quidditch World Cup stadium a few years back to keep muggles from finding it. Bagman taught me. It's one of the variations of the Confundus charm."  
  
"Aww, and I wanted an audience." She frowned her best puppy face at her boyfriend.  
  
"Goof." He kept his answer sort and sweet, kissed her forehead, and leaned back into the couch, as Ginny had already resumed her gentle attentions on his chest.   
  
"Quidditch has done you a world of good." She trailed kisses down his slightly muscled chest, giving each nipple the attention it was due. Swiftly, she undid his pants and he wriggled his way out of them in a less-than-romantic manner. Ginny giggled. Harry freed her from her pink hoodie jacket and pulled her baby blue "I Heart Seekers" Puddlemere United t-shirt over her head, leaving her hair a tousled mess. He promptly smoothed it back down with the palms of his hands, kissing her forehead gently.   
  
The rest of their clothes were quickly doffed in a heated frenzy. Harry gazed at every curve of Ginny's body as if it were the first time he was seeing her in the nude. Which he very nearly was. It had been a mere three weeks ago, after the Valentine's Day feast, when Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley had given their virginities to one another. Making love was still very awkward territory to the both of them, but they were so deeply in love.   
  
Harry hovered above her on the couch in the Gryffindor common room, gazing deeply into her eyes.   
  
"I don't think I'll ever get tired of this."  
  
"Well I'm going to get tired if you don't get on with it, Harry James Potter. I'm beyond ready for you." Ginny giggled sheepishly, smiled at him, wrapped an arm around the back of his neck, and pulled him down into a hungry kiss. She ended the kiss, but didn't let him pull back.   
  
"I love you so much, Harry."  
  
"I love you too, Ginny."  
  
She wrapped a leg around his hips and slowly guided him forward. Wrapping a hand around him, she guided him to herself, slowly allowing him entrance. Ginny's eyes fluttered shut as a small sigh escaped her lips. Harry studied her face. She was even more beautiful when they were making love.   
  
Since the moment he came across her unconscious form in the Chamber of Secrets, Harry had secretly wondered what she would look like while in the throes of passion. Right now, her eyes were shut tight, her face shrouded in a look of utter concentration. He lowered his face and nipped gently at her neck, being careful not to leave marks. Ron would have killed him. Harry was so immensely turned on by the way her shapely breasts moved under his chest as he thrust into her. Every aspect of making love to Ginny Weasley was such a turn on, such a fascination. He gently ran his tongue over a nipple. A sweet moan escaped her lips. He couldn't hold off any longer, no matter how hard he tried. Waves of pleasure washed over him as he found his release. He rested his forehead on her shoulder for a moment, then looked into Ginny's eyes, blushing furiously. Ginny just smirked at him. She knew very well that he was still quite inexperienced, as was she, so she couldn't really blame him for what had just happened.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry, Ginny."  
  
"Harry…"  
  
"I mean, I just…"  
  
"Harry." She pressed a finger to his lips until he stopped talking, then replaced her finger with her lips. "Harry," she mumbled against them in a low and sultry voice, "don't apologize. Just make up for it, you deliciously well-hung sex god, you."   
  
"Keep talking like that and it'll happen again, you vixen."  
  
She entwined her fingers in his hair and gently guided him downward. He promptly took the hint and filled the space where he had just been with two of his fingers. Ginny sighed contently. No matter how young and inexperienced they were, the two of them were learning from each other quickly.  
  
He withdrew his fingers, flickering his tongue across her entrance, then thrusting it in gently. He could taste himself, and was slightly repulsed. Next time he felt like he'd finish too early, he'd think of that taste. Maybe then, he'd hold off for a few minutes longer. Disgusting.   
  
He ran his tongue back up gently, wrapping his lips around her most sensitive flesh, putting his fingers back where his tongue had just been, and massaged her from the inside. Butterflies flew through her insides, as she slowly came undone for him. All rational thought had long since drifted from her mind as she clamped down around him, and released every ounce of love she had for Harry in the form of deep, breathy moans. When her orgasm subsided, Harry crept back up to lie beside her on the couch and wrapped himself around her still-trembling, slightly sweaty form.   
  
"Harry, you are absolutely remarkable." She kissed his jaw tenderly, and after a few minutes of basking in the afterglow, pried herself out of his embrace.   
  
She stood up, picked up her cloak, and wrapping it around herself, offered him a hand.   
  
"We really should get back to our beds. If McGonagall decides to do a bed check tonight, it'll be the death of us."  
  
Harry stood, picked up his and Ginny's clothing, and handed hers to her. She caught him in a passionate kiss at the bottom of the staircase, before making her way back up to her dorm. They would certainly sleep well tonight.


	6. Ch 5 Seeking

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Chapter 5 - Seeking  
  
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All of Gryffindor tower was awake, dressed, and making their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast by 9:00am on Sunday. By 10:00, most of their conversations, consisting primarily of idle chatter and excited nonsense, had wrapped up. By 10:15, they were well on their way back up to the tower to get psyched up for the quidditch game that would start at noon. The rowdy Hogwarts masses pushed and shoved their way through the corridors singing impromptu house songs and having a grand ol' improvised pep rally.  
  
Hermione Granger, however, was headed in the opposite direction. No one was down where she was headed: Straight for the dungeons. Any student would have guessed that she thought extra tutoring in potions was more important than an exciting quidditch game, seeing as how she was already trying to get into the most prestigious wizarding university in Ireland, but in reality, she just needed to talk to Professor Snape.   
  
After knocking twice on his office door, she waited patiently for a response. No luck.   
  
"What are you doing down here, Granger? Shouldn't your nose be planted in some book in the library?"  
  
She turned furiously on her heel to confront the obvious source of the snide comment.  
  
"Malfoy, I have just as much right to be down here as you do."  
  
"Really now? I didn't know mudbloods had free range of the castle. If my father had the balls to hex the governors into oblivion, you would all be locked in your common rooms except for classes."  
  
"Just our common rooms? He wouldn't kick us out of the castle entirely?"  
  
"No, my father lacks the bollocks necessary to do that. However, that would be what I'd do."  
  
"King of creativity, aren't you?"  
  
"Close enough. Now out of my way." He brushed her aside and knocked on Snape's office door.  
  
"I already tried that."  
  
He sneered and knocked again in defiance.  
  
"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, can I help you with something?"   
  
She spun around, relieved to find Professor Snape approaching them.   
  
"Yes Professor. Montague sent me up to get the banners for the locker room. Are they ready?"  
  
"Yes, they're in my office. Lock up after yourself." He unlocked the door and let Draco in, then turned to Hermione.  
  
"And you?"  
  
"Actually, Professor Snape, I was wondering if you had a moment to talk."  
  
"Not really, but I suppose you can entertain me on my walk to the Slytherin locker room.  
  
Montague insisted I go down and give a pep talk." The words 'pep talk' rolled off his tongue like some horrid sort of bile straight from his potions cabinets, and with a certain degree of bitter sarcasm.  
  
"Professor, I was just wondering why you were in such a huff yesterday morning at breakfast. After that letter you sent Harry…"  
  
"I was not in a huff. If you must know, I had a headache. As for the letter, it is only natural you would know about it. That boy CANNOT keep his mouth shut."  
  
"Is it really that terrible that you're related to him?" She cowered under his icy glare and quickly retracted her statement. "I take that back. But I still think it's admirable that after six years of silence, you've been able to open up to him about it."  
  
"If only it were that simple. Surely you could have figured out that I had to keep it under wraps because of my status as a Death Eater."  
  
"I figured that much. But that doesn't explain why you were being so… terse, with everyone at breakfast. I saw the way you tore through your food and didn't even take a bite. You elbowed Madame Pince twice, and nearly stabbed yourself in the hand with your knife by mistake a few times."  
  
"Who said anything about mistake?" Hermione glared at him. "Honestly, Granger. If you had just bared your soul to the boy who has virtually been your nemesis for six years, wouldn't you be in a slight tiff?" He spat the last words at her and she subtly wiped his escaped saliva from her lower eyelid while continuing to yell.  
  
"You call that a slight tiff?!" The two of them argued heatedly, right up to the front doors of the castle. Snape froze in front of Hermione, spun around, and gave her a glare to rival all glares.  
  
"Hermione, have you ever seen a picture of Harry's mother?"  
  
"Yes, a few."  
  
"Tell me you haven't failed to notice the similarities between Lily Potter and Ginny Weasley."  
  
Her mouth hung open for a moment, and she looked strangely like a stranded fish gasping for breath.  
  
"Really now, the dark red hair, the green eyes, heart-shaped face, button nose. It's incredible." His expression softened greatly while he described Harry's mother and the object of his affections. Hermione stopped and thought for a moment. Realization soon dawned on her.  
  
"Sir, do you think perhaps you've transferred your love for Lily onto Ginny? Maybe out of some twisted envy of Harry?"  
  
"Of course not!"  
  
"Well one would almost think so! I think you're jealous!"  
  
"Don't be absurd! I can't even believe we're having this discussion!"  
  
"Quite frankly, if this is absurd, I'd hate to see ridiculous! Don't think I'm finished here, Professor!"  
  
"Fine! You want to talk later, we'll talk later. But to me, this is a closed discussion." He stormed into the Slytherin locker room, and Hermione heard the beginning of a rather scathing pep talk.   
  
----  
  
The Ravenclaw and Slytherin quidditch teams took to the skies on what turned out to be a crisp, clear, and only slightly chilly Saturday afternoon in March. Lee Jordan had passed down the royal megaphone of announcership to Justin Finch-Fletchley when he graduated. The muggleborn had taken to quidditch like a fish to water as soon as he set foot in Hogwarts (though the less said about his skill on a broom, the better).   
  
"Ackerley takes possession of the quaffle, passes to Quirke, who ducks a bludger from Crabbe, passes back to Ackerley—Oh! And captain Montague takes possession for Slytherin! Montague to Warrington, Warrington to Baddock, Baddock outrunning a bludger sent by Brocklehurst, and Baddock scores! Ten points to Slytherin, leaving the score at ten to forty, with Ravenclaw holding their early lead!"  
  
The green end of the pitch screamed at the top of their lungs, while ¾ of the stadium remained near silent, aside from the odd 'boo' and some scattered hisses.   
  
"Pritchard puts the quaffle back into play, and Montague takes it! He ducks Boot's bludger, zooms past Quirke, outruns Prewett, passes to Warrington, and it's taken by Ackerley! Ackerley on his way back to the Slytherin end, passes to Quirke, she hands it off to Prewett, Prewett for the goal and a nice block by Pritchard! Pritchard passes to Baddock who loses it to Prewett! Prewett passes to Ackerly, and it's back to Prewett. Clever move there, guys! And whoa-ho! What's this? Cho Chang goes into a dive with Malfoy hot on her tail! Prewett puts the quaffle through the hoop and Chang's pulling out of her dive! Nice fake-out, Cho! Malfoy, don't give me that look! Ten points to Ravenclaw, and we're at ten to fifty!"  
  
Two and a half hours and 150 points later, Slytherin led Ravenclaw by thirty, with the score at 120-90. Exhaustion was painted across the faces of both teams, including Chang and Malfoy. The odd Wronski Feint wasn't exactly an energy drain, but boy could a seeker take a beating from them. Between the two of them, they had hit the ground no less than eight times.  
  
"And surprise! Malfoy's leading Chang to the ground again! Both pull level in time, and Malfoy's still going! Could he really be after the snitch this time? Goyle sends a bludger at Chang, who ducks it valiantly, and Prewett's making his way back toward the Slytherin goals! Chang pulls ahead of Malfoy, hand outstretched, and—OH MERLIN!"

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And, I leave you at a cliffhanger :-D Hopefully you won't have to wait too long, depending on how my weekend goes.


	7. Ch 6 Chasing

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Chapter 6 – Chasing   
  
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Black-hooded figures in white masks began apparating at various points on the quidditch pitch. Three flew in on brooms and herded the Ravenclaw players around. The players finally managed to fly back into their locker room unharmed. Professor McGonagall tore the megaphone from Justin's hand and began bellowing orders at the spectators.  
  
"Students! Take out your wands and Stupefy anyone who comes near you! Make your way to the moat around the pitch and follow the tunnels back to the school! I repeat, Stupefy anyone who approaches you! DA members, please put your training into effect! You know who you are! Repeat, DA members, take appropriate actions immediately!"  
  
The stadium cleared out rapidly amidst a shower of red and green wand sparks, and the terrified hordes of students shoved their way through the moat surrounding the pitch and into the emergency tunnels that led back to the castle. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, Lavender Brown, Padma and Parvati Patil, Dean Thomas, Zacharias Smith, Colin and Dennis Creevy, Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbott, Anthony Goldstein, and Michael Corner all bolted from the stands as fast as their legs could carry them, wands at the ready and eyes scanning the stadium. Cho Chang circled the moat on her broom to ensure that the students were clearing out safely. Terry Boot flew up to where Justin Finch-Fletchley was and hoisted him onto his broom to deposit him on the field with the other members of Dumbledore's Army, and then flew circles opposite Cho.  
  
Wands poised for action, the Army outnumbered the Death Eaters two to one. Harry, Ron, and Ginny all Accio'd their brooms from the Gryffindor locker room, then flew circles about the stadium to tackle the broom-bound Death Eaters. Somewhere through the shower of sparks, screaming students, the superb spell-casting skills of the Army members, and the best teachers any wizarding school had ever hired, three Death Eaters lay stupefied, four under the petrificus totalus curse, and another six under various other binding curses. One even found himself stretched across a quidditch goal hoop spread-eagle, and looking something like a spider-web, broom still in hand. Any who weren't captured had promptly apparated from the grounds.   
  
Professor Dumbledore put a sonorous charm on his voice to make a rather winded announcement. "Stunning… performance. Remarkably… well done. Thank you. Now… will everyone please… go to the… Gryffindor locker… rooms please. Finite… Incantatem. Professor McGonagall… Professor Snape… If you would… come with me." Then he apparated to the Hufflepuff locker room.  
  
----  
  
The pair of Death Eaters cautiously approached the massive marble throne upon which their cruel leader sat. They knelt before him, kissed his robes, and averted their eyes from his gaze until he addressed them.  
  
"Crabbe, why have so few of you returned? What have you to report?" The chilling voice shot daggers into the cold air of the massive stone and marble-encrusted room.  
  
"My Lord, the students have learned skills far beyond those which we have anticipated. Neither my son, nor the younger Malfoy have reported any changes in lessons to me. Sir, might I, your humble servant, inquire as to whether Severus has reported any changes in curriculum to you?  
  
"None. I do not believe their skill comes from any class taught at Hogwarts. The curse I put on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position years ago should still be in effect. I believe their skill comes from a deeper source. One which the school has kept under wraps for some time now. Did you bring our youngest recruits back with you?"  
  
"Yes sir, they are waiting outside." Said the second Death Eater. "Would you like me to show them in, my Lord?" He anxiously bowed his head toward his master.  
  
"That will not be necessary." He raised a hand and the doors at the other end of the hall flung open with immense force.   
  
"Enter, my faithful servants! Bow to your new Lord!"   
  
The four recruits walked forward, and following Crabbe's example, knelt before the throne of the Dark Lord.   
  
"What are your names?"  
  
"Pansy Parkinson, my Lord."  
  
"Gregory Goyle, sir."  
  
"Vincent Crabbe."  
  
"Draco Malfoy, Lord."  
  
They each in turn bowed their heads, then forced themselves to look back upon the hideous visage before them.  
  
"You will, of course, learn the etiquette of being Death Eaters soon enough. Upon entering, you will kneel before me and kiss my robes."  
  
The four glanced tentatively at one another.   
  
"I said, you will kiss my robes. Imperio!"  
  
They bent down and kissed the hem of the robe of their Lord.  
  
----  
  
"Is something wrong, Albus?"  
  
"Yes, Minerva. I'm afraid I've made a terrible mistake."  
  
"I was afraid this was going to happen. A few of the other Death Eaters were saying they had discovered a breach that would prove to be most useful. I don't know why I didn't inform you. I didn't think it was that important."  
  
"No, Severus. Do not blame yourself. You were made to suffer the Cruciatus quite excessively at the last meeting. You cannot help it if it slipped your mind. No, no. I am rather to blame for this. I saw no reason to include the quidditch stadium in the anti-apparation wards surrounding the castle. It is quite possibly the biggest mistake I have made in my career here."  
  
Minerva ran to him and threw her arms around his shoulders, but he gently pushed her away.  
  
"Min, I need you to go back to the castle to make sure all the students arrived safely. Have Madam Sprout search the tunnels and make sure nobody was left behind. Perhaps Madam Pomfrey should take attendance and look everyone over. Tell Hagrid to take Fang to patrol the Dark Forest. Have Professors Vector, Flitwick, and Sinistra stand guard over the quidditch pitch to ensure that no more Death Eaters apparate in. Get Madam Hooch on a broom to patrol the skies above the school. Severus, please find and inform the rest of the Order that their presence is needed at the school immediately. Have them report back to the Hufflepuff lockers. I need to go discuss things with my Army."  
  
He cautiously exited the tent and made his way to the Gryffindor locker rooms where Dumbledore's Army was currently camped out and recovering. Upon entering, he discovered a rather exhausted looking group of students huddled in various corners. In one corner, Ginny Weasley was wrapping up Neville Longbottom's arm, which was slightly bloody. Dean Thomas hovered anxiously over Parvati Patil, who had been stupefied, and was sprawled out on a bench. Dumbledore walked over and cast "enervate." The rest looked slightly exhausted and out of breath, but otherwise fine. Ron was handing out water bottles that he had pulled out of one of the cabinets.  
  
"Right. Another job well done. Further reassurance that Harry and Hermione have done a smashing job of training you all up. However, I fear that today could be the ultimate test of not only your skill, but also your dedication and courage."   
  
Everyone looked around the room as if to question each other about what exactly he was getting at.  
  
"I fear that the final battle with Voldemort may very well be upon us. This of course means that your training may not be enough to face down however many Death Eaters may be thrown at you." He paused nervously. "Therefore, I fear that I must give you permission to use the Unforgivable Curses."  
  
A few gasps and mumbles coursed through the room. Unforgivables? In their years of training, a small handful of students had only crossed the Unforgivables once, and even then it was at the hands of a deranged madman posing as an ex-auror.   
  
"Now, I know that none of you have learned how to perform these, but I shall give you a crash-course, and can hope only that none of you have to experience them during the battle. I really don't know when the next wave of attacks will hit us, but Professor Snape is currently summoning the Order of the Phoenix. You certainly will not be alone in all of this. But anyway, I must hurry along.   
  
"Of course, the spells you must say are as follows: 'Crucio,' 'Imperio,' and 'Avada Kedavra.' I prefer that you refrain from using the last one, except in the direst of circumstances. Imperius will be rather useless to you on the battlefield. However, the Cruciatus Curse will be useful. You must, of course, put feeling into performing the curse. One cannot simply utter the spell and point a wand to inflict pain. One must really want, really truly want to inflict only the most horrid, most vile pain into the recipient of the curse. So, you point your wand directly at the recipient, put feeling into saying the spell, and really, truly concentrate on nothing more than inflicting the worst of pain. Simple enough.   
  
"The same goes for the Killing Curse. One must clearly say 'Avada Kedavra' and deeply want the recipient dead. Otherwise it only leads to various states of incapacitation. But again, only use that one in the direst of circumstances. Are we clear?" The room nodded in unison. "Good. Right. Well. I believe that's the long and short of it. I should go over to the Hufflepuff locker room, see who has arrived so far." Dumbledore left, and the room broke out once again in low mumbles. 


	8. Ch 7 Forsaken

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Chapter 7 - Forsaken   
  
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"Wow. I've already read up on how to perform them, you know, just in case. But never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be given permission to actually use them."  
  
"Hermione, you may see this as an educational opportunity, but really, this is far more serious. I don't know if you muggleborns really understand the gravity of the situation," Ernie Macmillan spat. Justin, his best friend, shot him one hell of a surprised look.  
  
"Excuse me?! How dare you! I never said I saw this as an educational opportunity! I was simply stating how surprised I am that I would have to put something so cruel and drastic into practice!"   
The two faced each other, shoulders squared, both looking like they were ready to take the first punch. Finally, Ernie backed down.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry. This whole situation stinks. It really does. None of us want to be here. None of us want to be forced to inflict pain on another human being. But we have to. Think of all the rotten things those Death Eaters have done to our loved ones. Think of Harry's parents. Think of Neville's parents. And Susan's and Terry's. Think of Cedric Diggory… remember the horrors our parents lived with on a day-to-day basis. The fear that ran through them as they underwent their daily activities. If we don't do something now, the wizarding world will just go right back to living in constant fear."   
  
Neville stood between Ginny and Seamus, looking more resolute than ever. Ginny grasped Harry's hand tighter. Behind them, Dean placed a comforting hand on Neville's shoulder. Justin slipped an arm around Susan's waist, and she tucked her head into the crook of his neck. Hannah Abbot sighed deeply and made eye contact with Colin Creevy across the room, who gave her a reassuring smile.   
  
Suddenly, they heard an ear-splitting scream coming from somewhere down the row of tents. The students froze. Harry cautiously slipped outside, wand held at the ready.  
  
----  
  
"PROFESSOR! THEY'RE GONE!"  
  
"Calm yourself, Pomona! Take a deep breath. Now. Who is gone?"  
  
"Draco. Malfoy. Pansy. Parkinson." She spoke in gasps, and paused to drink from a bottle of water that was handed to her. "Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle."  
  
"You are certain?"  
  
"Yes. Poppy did not come across them in the Great Hall while taking attendance."  
  
Dumbledore sighed and sat down on one of the benches in resignation, rubbing his temple.  
  
"Then I'm afraid there's nothing we can do. We can only hope that none of them have taken the Mark yet. Alert the members of the Order to go easy on them. Only stun them if the opportunity presents itself. Let us hope for the best."  
  
"Do you really think they've gone to the Dark Side, Albus?"  
  
"I challenge anyone to present me with a better idea."  
  
----  
  
"It's Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, and Malfoy. They've all disappeared." Harry re-entered the tent, shoulders hanging, and looking rather defeated.  
  
"I knew they were in league with You-Know-Who!" Ron shouted, startling everyone out of their silent stupor.   
  
"Ron, sit down. Nobody's surprised. I'd just like to take a few good hexes to those gits. Probably been passing along our secrets the whole time." Seamus stated, looking rather perplexed. Why would they just up and leave the protection of the school right before the final battle?   
  
Just then, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Bill Weasley entered the tent.   
  
"Professor Lupin!" Hermione jumped from her seat and ran to hug Remus, but caught herself and downplayed her actions to a very excited handshake. "It's good to see you all, but not under these circumstances." Her face fell, and she led the delegation of the Order over to meet with the Army.   
  
"Brief introductions. Dumbledore's Army, meet The Order of the Phoenix."   
  
"Is that all?" Dean looked rather let down that there were so few of them. The Death Eaters would trample them for sure.  
  
"Course not. There's about twenty-five more of us. They're back in the Hufflepuff locker room. By the way, Harry. Snape, er, Professor Snape wanted to talk to you. He's over there right now. Anyway, the five of us thought we'd come over, see who we've got working with us today." Harry stood up and left the tent.   
  
"So do we know when the next wave of Death Eaters is due to hit?" came from somewhere in the room.  
  
"No idea. But we've got patrols all over the quidditch field and school grounds. As soon as something happens, we'll be notified. Nothing left for us to do but wait around," Kingsley coolly responded.  
  
"Anyone for a game of exploding snap?" Bill pulled a deck out of his leather jacket and shuffled. Cho Chang, Lavender Brown, and Dennis Creevy moved off into a corner with Bill, and he dealt out the cards.   
  
Tonks pulled Ron and Hermione to one side of the room, while Lupin took Neville to the other end.   
  
"Ron, do you think Neville's up to this today?"  
  
Hermione piped up in his defense. "Of course he is! Neville's one of the strongest members we've got. He's made some stunning improvements since we've been working with him. His progress has been incredible. You should have seen the moves he pulled last year in the Department of Mysteries."  
  
"I'll believe it when I see it."  
  
"Why are you so worried about Neville, anyway?"   
  
"I used to babysit him when his gran was busy. I've got a bit of a soft spot for the kid. But you're sure he's not a klutz anymore? I've got Remus over there giving him a pep talk right now." She locked eyes with Neville across the room and quickly looked away before he got suspicious.   
  
----  
  
"So, Harry tells me your command of dueling has improved since I left?"  
  
"Yeah, my grades have gone up a bit too." "That's really good to hear." The two sat in awkward silence for a moment. Lupin finally broke it.  
  
"It's alright to be afraid, you know."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Not many people are brave enough to face Death Eaters. Your parents were. I see a lot of them in you." Neville quickly wiped the tear that was forming in his eye and looked up, only to catch the eye of Tonks across the room.  
  
"I've heard so much about them." He sniffed. "I wonder if Harry knows how good he's got it. He doesn't have to see his parents like I have to see mine. It's like… it's like I know they're in there, but there's not a damn thing I can do to see who they really are. I don't know my parents. I know these empty shells of people who teeter around St. Mungo's grinning for no good reason. Everyone tells me how brave they were and how great they were and what brilliant wizards they were. Well all I know is what they are. Dribbling maniacs."  
  
"Neville, I…"  
  
"No Professor. I'm glad I have to see it. It reminds me what we're fighting for today. All these stories about them give me something to live up to. I know who we're battling, but their poor insane grins put a face to the evils we're fighting. I have to go out there and fight today. Nobody else deserves to see their parents like that." With that, Neville broke down in a fit of sobs. 


	9. Ch 8 Explanations

----  
  
Chapter 8 – Explanations  
  
----  
  
Harry poked his head through the flap to the Hufflepuff tent. The room became quiet almost immediately, and the entire Order of the Phoenix, save for the five with the DA, was looking at him.   
  
   
  
"Mr. Potter," Snape said with a polite nod of his head. "Please follow me."   
  
   
  
He stood and walked out of the tent, sweeping past Harry. Harry struggled to match his brisk strides, but followed the billowing robes into the Slytherin locker rooms.  
  
   
  
"I assume you know why I've asked you to meet me." He said, perching himself on the long boardroom style table that spanned the strategy room of the locker tent. Harry sat down on a nearby chair.  
  
   
  
"I suppose so."  
  
   
  
Now what? An awkward pause.  
  
   
  
"It isn't every day that a professor finds himself in this predicament."  
  
   
  
"This isn't exactly familiar territory to me either, sir."  
  
   
  
"Do you have any questions?"  
  
   
  
"Why didn't you tell me before?"  
  
   
  
"I thought that would have been perfectly obvious. I had no choice with the situation with the Dark Lord."  
  
   
  
"I know that. But why are you telling me now?"  
  
   
  
"Did you not read the letter? I thought I made everything perfectly clear!" His nephew was thicker than dragon shit.  
  
   
  
"Honestly Professor! I'm your bloody nephew! Quit being such a prat! This isn't a classroom, and nobody's around to see you being a jerk! You've got nothing to prove to me, and there's nobody here you have to maintain your image for!"  
  
   
  
"Is that what you think this is? An image?" He started out in his usual harsh tone, but realized what the boy meant. "Harry, if you had lived my life, you'd know why I am the way I am. It's a defense mechanism. I do what I do to keep people at bay so I don't have to explain my whole horrible life story to them. But that doesn't justify the way I've singled you out for harsh treatment in the classroom. I suppose that's what you mean when you say I'm being a 'prat.'"  
  
   
  
"So why, sir?"  
  
   
  
"Well at first it was because of my bitterness over your father. But I quickly came to realize how completely different the two of you are. I fully intend to fill you in on your father's history, the good and the bad, but now is not the time. Eventually I realized that you could do nothing to avoid your situation. Celebrity had been thrust upon you and you were forced to adjust at a young age. Therefore, I took it upon myself to make sure your fame did not go to your head. Imagine my dismay when I found out that Lockhart had you answering his fanmail." A smirk crossed his hard-bitten features. "I would have thrown myself at Voldemort's mercy before watching you get wrapped up in his charade. Anyway, I figured that if there was at least one person who wasn't blowing sunshine up your end, you might possibly turn out alright."  
  
   
  
"Thank you."  
  
   
  
"For what?"  
  
   
  
"Keeping me grounded. I know I would have wound up with some horrid inflated ego without you, whether I knew it or not at the time."  
  
   
  
"I only did what came naturally. Being a prat is second nature. Just because you're the wonder boy of Gryffindor doesn't mean you have to be an arrogant little beast. That's where I went wrong with Draco."  
  
   
  
"And you saved my life a few times."  
  
   
  
"I never thought you'd acknowledge that." Harry grinned and his uncle returned a smirk. "You should have seen me try to explain that to the boss after I went back to spy. Just don't think I'm going to give you special treatment during class because of all this. I'm still going to be a complete and total bastard. Just you wait." He stood from his seat on the table and ruffled the boy's already ruffled hair.  
  
   
  
"I should warn you that I hate it when people do that, Uncle Sev."  
  
   
  
"Well let it be known that I hate it when people call me Sev. But for you, I'll make the exception."  
  
   
  
The two exchanged smiles. Just as Snape was about to go out the door, something dawned on Harry, and he couldn't leave the tent without asking.  
  
"Hey Professor. What was that thing you mentioned about your father? That whole vampire thing?"  
  
"I was wondering when you'd ask about that. I always thought that was a fun little secret to keep, what with everyone calling me 'old bat' and such."  
  
"So can you turn into one?"   
  
"No, I cannot turn myself into a bat. I don't drink blood either. I'm only half vampire. Though I do still suffer all the consequences, which is why I'm always greasy. It's a potion that protects me from the effects of the sun. And I can't see my reflection in mirrors. Rather depressing, really. Which is why I always have to wear black. Merlin knows what horrid outfits I'd coordinate."  
  
Harry laughed and the two shared yet another awkward silence. Just as Harry was about to ask another question, they were interrupted by the tent flap flying open. Lupin appeared in the doorway.  
  
   
  
"Severus, Harry, come quickly. Something's happened outside."  
  
The two men followed the werewolf out of the Slytherin tent and out onto the quidditch pitch. Random groups of Order members dotted the outskirts of the pitch, wands at the ready, eyes on the rubble of a set of spectator towers that had fallen onto the pitch.  
  
Snape, Harry, and Lupin approached Dumbledore.  
  
"Well Severus, what do you suspect?"  
  
"It could either be a diversionary tactic, or an apparating point. The Dark Lord is an insufferable drama queen, and it would suit him just nicely if his Death Eaters could emerge from the wreckage looking as menacing as ever," he said, his usual smirk stretched across his pale face.  
  
"How much time do you think we have?"  
  
"Ten minutes, fifteen at the most."  
  
"Alright. I'll get everyone sorted out." He turned to face the Order and his Army.  
  
"May I have everyone's attention?" The crowd immediately stilled and looked to their leader. "Thank you. I have spoken with Severus, and he believes we have anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes before the next attack. Now, to give our forces some semblance of organization, I'd like to divide you into groups."   
  
Dumbledore turned to his most trusted spy, who was holding his left forearm.   
  
"Severus, are you feeling alright?"  
  
Snape crouched on the ground and curled his upper body around his arm, his face scrunched up in an unbelievable amount of pain. He hated it when his students saw him looking vulnerable like this, but it was one of the hazards of the job. Harry grasped his uncle's shoulder for reassurance.   
  
"I'm… being… summoned. No… time to get… robes. Minerva? Would you… transfigure… mine?" He stuttered through clenched teeth.  
  
"Certainly Severus." She pointed her wand and he stood, still holding his arm. "Vestitum Transforma."   
  
Severus was a sight to behold in his Death Eater gear. All intimidation, no nonsense. Hermione approached him and placed a silver pendant around his neck.   
  
"It's just so we know who you are. Wouldn't want to go hexing you into oblivion by mistake."  
  
"Severus, in the name of not blowing your cover, duel with me or the other members of the Order. Try to maintain your image at all cost, unless you find it absolutely not to," Dumbledore cautioned him.  
  
"Right. Good luck… everyone. Harry." And with a nod, he blindly disapparated to his master.  
  
"So as I was saying, I need to divide you into groups. I believe that in order to provide a diversion, some of the students should dress in Quidditch robes and play a mock game. Act like nothing ever happened."  
  
Several people looked around at each other, exchanging looks that could easily be read as "The old man has finally gone off his rocker."  
  
"I'll leave it to you to decide who does that. It should also provide us with a good aerial attack. I'd like one member of the Order to pose as a referee in case anything goes wrong. I want some of you hiding in the moat to spring out if necessary. Perhaps some Order members on brooms to emerge from the locker rooms? Right. Students, go get dressed. Order, you know where the broom shed is. Hop to it."  
  
The crowd dispersed and Harry began bellowing orders at the Army he and Hermione had trained up.   
  
"Okay, I need fourteen DA members, follow me. If you're on a quidditch team, come along and bring a friend. I'd suggest we play Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw since Ravenclaw's already in gear. Head off to the lockers and borrow some uniforms. Meet behind the tents in five minutes. Kingsley, will you referee for us?"  
  
"Sure. Do I need spare robes?"  
  
"Not really. I've got a whistle for you. All you really need to do is duck and weave around the game and look like you're doing something."  
  
"Fair enough. See you back out here in a bit."  
  
----  
  
Ernie Macmillan spun on his heel and followed Harry and the rest of the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs to the lockers. Justin Finch-Fletchley pulled up along side him.  
  
"Justin, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Harry said bring a friend, right? Here I am."  
  
"Yeah, well…"  
  
"You dressing up as Ravenclaw or Gryffindor?"  
  
"Uh, Justin, you know why you're the announcer, right?"  
  
"Because I know quidditch like the back of my hand!" He said excitedly, pointing at his palm.  
  
"That's the front. Anyway, Justin. You failed Madam Hooch's first year flying class twice. Do you really think it wise to face Death Eaters on a broom?"  
  
"You're right." He looked rather dejected.  
  
"Besides, you've had better things between your knees than brooms." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.  
  
"Yeah," he snickered. "Susan Bones." And he ran off to join the group that was making its way down the stairs into the moat. 


	10. Ch 9 Retribution

danke tizan! auf keinem fall hält mich heidelberg vom schreiben ab! Ich war überrascht eine review auf deutsch zu finden! Ich habe noch nie gepraalt über meine deutsche rechtschreibung, aber wolte mal trotz dem auf deutsch antworten :)   
  
Ehhem, stepping away from the mother tongue and back to the one I'm more proficient at, I believe I left you on the quidditch pitch. A swarm of Death Eaters just interrupted the game, and the DA and OotP have come to the rescue. Onward ho :-D  
  
And please leave reviews. I love you all the more for it.   
  
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Chapter 9 – Retribution   
  
----  
  
The Order and the remaining Army members ducked into the moat surrounding the pitch, wands at the ready. The Army members in crimson and blue quidditch gear emerged from the locker rooms, wands tucked into their robes and brooms tucked between their knees. Kingsley Shacklebolt released the balls and the "teams" played the game halfheartedly, eyes on the Forbidden Forest and fallen towers.  
  
Night slowly began to fall, and nothing had happened yet. Harry caught the snitch for the third time and released it, Ravenclaw led Gryffindor by eighty points, and the beaters were just hitting bludgers enough to keep everyone from getting hit.  
  
Then, exactly at sunset, black-hooded figures began to emerge from the wreckage of the fallen towers. One of the Death Eaters clutched his wand in his silver hand, held it above his head in a dramatic gesture, and shouted "Incendio!" The entire collapsed structure burst into flames.  
  
Six, then ten, suddenly twenty Death Eaters emerged from the inferno lead by none other than Peter Pettigrew, wands all poised for action. Nine Death Eaters on brooms flew in over the stadium in formation, while at least ten others apparated onto the field.   
  
Harry grabbed Terry Boot's bludger bat and flew at one of the delinquent bludgers. With every ounce of strength in his body, he launched the bludger at the formation of Death Eaters, knocking two from their brooms and onto the pitch. Hermione darted from the moat around the stadium and cast a full-body bind on them. Then she pointed her wand upward and knocked two more from their brooms with well-aimed stupefies and bound them.   
  
Death Eaters slowly closed in on her from all sides, wands poised to hex. Six members of the Order on brooms flew from the locker area and surrounded the encroaching Death Eaters. Ginny, Dennis Creevy, Seamus, Zacharias Smith, and Luna Lovegood all snuck up on the circling Death Eaters, firing hexes at random once they got within firing range. George Weasley swooped down on his broom and clutched Hermione to himself, managing to get the both of them out of harm's way before the Death Eaters did any damage.   
  
Kingsley Shacklebolt did a low fly-by on the Death Eaters creeping out of the burning wreckage and cast Petrificus Totalus on four of them. He shouted Expelliarmus repeatedly, pointing his wand at no one in particular in the group. Then he spotted one wearing a silver pendant around his neck. Quickly, he levitated his colleague out of the rubble and out of the stadium, landing him safely in front of one of the locker rooms.   
  
Four Death Eaters chased their airborn brother out of the stadium, and spotted him going into one of the tents. He emerged holding an armful of bludger bats and handed them to the other four.   
  
"Finish them off!" Snape yelled, and one of the four pointed his wand at the row of locker tents, setting them ablaze.  
  
However, while Snape was in the locker room, he had spotted a handful of Order and DA members and told them to flee out the back. They did so, each clutching a broom, and took to the skies.   
  
The heavens had turned a rich shade of orange and the air hung thick with smoke. The quidditch stadium was a war zone: a mere shadow of the fun, lighthearted atmosphere it had been only hours before. The stadium and pitch were covered in members of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army, all dueling it out with the Death Eaters of Voldemort.   
  
----  
  
Seven Death Eaters infiltrated the moat. Neville found himself cornered, and the few spells he did know would do nothing to hold off the three Death Eaters closing in on him.   
  
"Well, what have we here? Could this be the little Longbottom boy?"  
  
"Just you stay away from me. I'll hex you into next October if you take another step closer!"  
  
The three kept on walking. "How precious. Rodolphus, do you reckon we can do the same to him as we did to his parents?"  
  
"No, I suspect we should go easy on the lad. He's quaking in his boots."  
  
"I suppose so. Pity, really, that the son of two such brilliant wizards is such a complete coward." She spoke slowly and her voice held an icy tone. "They were brave. I wasn't sure we'd make it out of there alive. Not until the Crouch boy suggested Cruciatus. Yes, that was his shining moment. Ah, well, no time to reminisce. Best get on with it. Dispose of the poor lad and move on." She raised her wand.  
  
Just as he was giving up hope, his gaze fell between two of the Death Eaters. There stood Tonks, flaming pink hair in pig tails.   
  
"Oi! You three!" They spun around to face the girlish voice.  
  
"Leave him alone! If you're looking for a good fight, try me. Rictusempra!" The leftmost  
  
Death Eater started wheezing uncontrollably.  
  
From behind them, Neville shouted "Tarantallegra!" and the other two Death Eaters started dancing a strange sort of jig. Tonks burst out laughing.  
  
"Honestly, you three! This war wasn't supposed to be this fun! Expelliarmus!" she cried, and all three of their wands sailed neatly into her hand.   
  
Neville cast the full-body bind on all three of them and they lay on the ground, neatly tethered, one of them still wheezing, and the other two still wriggling in their ropes.  
  
Somewhere amidst her laughter, Tonks cast Finite Incantatem, and they stopped wheezing and wiggling. Neville cautiously approached the three Death Eaters. He crouched down and pulled the mask off the middle one. Cold mahogany brown eyes glared at him.   
  
"Well, looks like justice is served, Bellatrix. My parents send their love. Say hi to Azkaban for me." With that, he kicked her square in the ribs, spun on his heel, and started to walk off, but he paused. He turned around again, walked back to her, and kicked her in the ribs again.  
  
"That one was for Sirius Black." He spat in her face and walked off, leaving a winded Bellatrix Lestrange and a rather stunned Nymphadora Tonks in his wake.   
  
----  
  
The four Death Eaters ran at the girls, bludger bats poised to strike. The tallest of the girls held her wand up and shouted "Expellimellious!" but nothing happened.  
  
"DAMMIT! I HATE that spell! I never could get it right!" Cho ran at one of the Death Eaters and poked him in the eye with her wand. The Death Eater shrieked, curled up on the ground, and pulled off his mask, revealing a pain-stricken Pansy Parkinson. She clutched her left eye with both hands and screamed a string of obscenities.  
  
"Chang you filthy halfblood whore! You dirty fucking bitch!" Cho stomped on Pansy's stomach, knocking the wind out of her.   
  
"Don't you DARE insult me you Slytherin harpy!"  
  
Two huge Death Eaters grabbed Cho from behind and tackled her. Before the three hit the ground, Parvati and Padma, followed almost immediately by Hannah Abbott tackled the mass of black and blue robes.   
  
With a howl of pain, Gregory Goyle curled into a ball. His mask fell off, revealing a face twisted in agony, hands clutching that which was most precious to him.   
  
With some quick thinking, Lavender cast the Petrificus Totalus on the last quarreling Death Eater and tore his mask off, revealing a grouchier-than-usual looking Vincent Crabbe.  
  
The five girls stood back, admiring their handiwork.   
  
"I think one of them got away." Said a winded Padma Patil.  
  
"Well, that was easy enough. Think we should tackle a few more?" Hannah looked up and saw Ginny Weasley being levitated high above the pitch. Harry was up on his broom circling her, trying in vain to get her down. Every time he tried to grab her to pull her onto his broom, she'd simply go higher.   
  
One of the Death Eaters below cackled maniacally, when he saw Harry make a grab for Ginny, a flick of his wrist would send her higher and higher.   
  
The next few moments passed in slow motion.  
  
With a final flick of his wand, the Death Eater sent Ginny spiraling toward the ground. Harry flew into a dive after her, his quarry far more precious than any golden snitch.  
  
The Death Eater bearing the silver pendant ran faster than his legs had ever carried him before. With one huge leap, he sprung on top of the Death Eater. The two scuffled for a moment, and with a loud popping noise, they lay still. Snape stood, brushed himself off, and looked down at his former Death Eater brother. He had snapped his neck.  
  
Harry caught Ginny fifteen feet from the ground. His Firebolt had been designed for speed, not for load-bearing, and the two of them plummeted the final distance to the ground. The landing was softer than they had expected. A lot softer. They rolled to the side, only to find Snape glaring at them. They had landed square on him and the dead Death Eater.   
  
"Are you two alright?"  
  
"Yeah, fine." Harry stood and offered Snape his hand. He took it and pulled himself up. Then the two of them pulled Ginny from the ground.  
  
"Listen, Harry…" But they had dawdled for too long. Two Death Eaters had spotted the kindness for what it was, and were already running at the trio.   
  
"Crucio!" Erupted from both sides and the two approaching Death Eaters curled up on the floor and passed out from the pain. Harry and Snape had both fired the same curse and beat the Death Eaters to the punch.  
  
"Harry, I've been thinking. Your wand won't be sufficient to kill Voldemort."  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"Fourth year. The graveyard. You remember the result of your attempted duel with the Dark Lord?"  
  
"Yeah, that golden sphere and the echoes of his victims."  
  
"You won't be able to…" But Snape never finished his sentence. One of the Death Eaters had hit him in the back of the head with a Stupefy. He keeled over and fell into Ginny's arms.  
  
"You messed with the wrong Boy Who Lived. CRUCIO!" Harry put every ounce of fury he could muster up into that one curse. All the pain he had suffered under Voldemort, the trauma of losing Sirius, the nightmare of growing up with the Dursleys because his parents were dead, the emotional torment he faced from blaming himself for the death of Cedric. Everything flooded into that one curse. The Death Eater keeled over. Ginny gently lay Snape on the ground, crawled over to the Death Eater, and checked his pulse. He was dead. 


	11. Ch 10 Relinquishments

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Chapter 10 – Relinquishments   
  
----  
  
A green light flashed from the southeastern side of the moat. Everyone on the quidditch pitch stopped to see what was going on. Another green light sprang from the moat, followed by another. Emmeline Vance, Lee Jordan, and Mundungus all ran over to the moat and jumped in.  
  
"What happened!" Mundungus spotted Angelina Johnson curled up and bawling into Fred's shirt. Fred was frozen in horror.  
  
"Oh Gods! They're dead!! Ronny and Charlie are dead!!!"  
  
Lee Jordan ran over to Ron's still body. He tilted his head up and placed it carefully in his lap. Ron's eyes fluttered open.  
  
"He's alright Angie!" Fred clung to his girlfriend tighter and breathed a sigh of relief. Mundungus crouched beside Charlie and placed his head on his chest.  
  
"I don' hear nothin'." The expression on Charlie's face was one of terror, just like every other victim of the Avada Kedavra he had come across in his years of being in the Order.  
  
Emmeline poked her head around a corner and discovered another body lying on the ground. She dragged the masked Death Eater back toward the group. Ron spoke up.  
  
"That one… tried to kill me… Avada Kedavra."  
  
Emmeline removed the mask. The terrified expression on the youthful face was the same as the one on Charlie Weasley. Steel blue eyes gazed into the abyss of death, silver blonde hair framed the angelic face under the hood of his Death Eater's robe.   
  
"Fred, Angie, what happened here?" Emmeline sat down beside the couple and took Angelina's hand in hers, stroking it like a mother would.   
  
"Ron…" She sniffed. "He, he warned us that there was a Death Eater around the corner. But before anyone could react, we heard someone shout Avada Kedavra. Ronny collapsed…" She buried her face back in Fred's chest and sobbed like a baby. Fred picked up the story where she left off.   
  
"Charlie went completely white and dodged out in front of us. He shot an Avada Kedavra around the corner. I guess that was when Draco bought it. But then another beam of green light came from behind us and Charlie fell. Lucius Malfoy killed him to avenge his son's death."  
  
"Did you see where he went?"   
  
"Yeah, he ripped off his mask in a fit of rage and took off running that way." Fred pointed behind Mundungus, and Dung took off running.  
  
He ran about two hundred yards around the moat before coming across Lucius Malfoy, who was staggering up a ladder and out of the moat, clutching his right arm, which was twisted at a curious angle to his chest. He reached the top of the ladder, and turned back to check where the sound of running was coming from.  
  
"Mundungus, we meet again."  
  
"Malfoy, you rotten coward."  
  
"Rotten coward? Where were you when I was raping your wife? The look of pain and terror on her face was positively exquisite." His face twisted to an almost orgasmic sneering smile. "Shall we test my powers against yours?"  
  
He straightened himself up, raised his wand with his twisted arm, and began to chant. His terrifying and powerful voice rang across the quidditch pitch, and everyone turned to look at him:  
  
"Dei Maris,  
Meo Mittite Ripam Tuam.  
Dei Aestus,  
Meo Ferte Diluviem."   
  
The lake slowly began to swell and the giant squid became restless. Its limbs thrashed at the surface for a moment, but he soon stopped fighting and settled himself near the bottom of the lake. It continued to swell until finally an enormous tidal wave rose through the twilight, perched precariously above the lake.   
  
Death Eaters ran for the few towers that remained standing for the time being, like ants seeking shelter from the rain. Order members and Dumbledore's Army all fled to the exits of the stadium. Lucius stayed where he was and continued to chant.  
  
Down in the moat, everything was chillingly silent. Fred looked up, not knowing what to expect.  
  
"Does anyone else hear that?"  
  
"Hear what?" Angelina looked up at him through puffy pink eyes.  
  
"I don't know… it sounds… like water."  
  
Lee looked up from where he was cradling Ron. "I hear it too."  
  
Emmeline stood, grabbed hold of one of the beams overhead, and swung herself up to stand on it. She stood on her toes, grabbed hold of another beam, and pulled herself up so she could see the quidditch pitch.  
  
"Guys, this isn't good. Lucius is chanting. I can't hear what he's saying, but everyone is running for the exits."  
  
Fred jumped up and held out his hand to pull Angelina up with him. Together, they pulled Ron up and slung him between the two of them. Lee picked up Charlie's body and hoisted him up over his back in an awkward position. They made a run for the nearest exit, while Emmeline lifted herself onto the pitch. She ran with them above as they searched for a ladder.   
  
"Right here guys! I found one! Lee, leave Charlie there! Climb up here and they can pass Ron up to us! We need to get out of the moat as fast as we can or we'll be flooded in!"  
  
Lee climbed up the ladder after Emmeline and they both crouched down. Angelina and Fred lifted Ron up as high as they could without hurting him, and Lee and Emmeline grabbed him under the armpits and dragged him onto the pitch. The other two scrambled up the ladder after them, leaving Charlie's lifeless behind.  
  
Tonks, Hestia Jones, and Neville came running up to the five, all completely out of breath looking well past exhausted.  
  
"We need to get out!" Jones shouted above the sound of rushing water. "Lucius is summoning the gods of the lake. This whole place will be flooded any minute!"  
  
She and Tonks grabbed Ron and led the group off the pitch and up a flight of stairs, into one of the spectator towers high above the pitch. Fred and Angelina clutched each other's hands like they were the final lifeline before a long fall into the mouth of hell. Lee Jordan and Emmeline Vance followed Neville up the stairs, all obviously running on the mercy of the adrenaline that was pumping through their veins.  
  
From where they stood, they could see a gigantic pillar of water rising high above the lake. Far below, they watched as the final groups of Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix ran, flew, and apparated out of the stadium. Lucius still stood, wand raised, looking daunting as ever, still chanting his supplications to the gods of the lake. With a final dramatic wave of his arms, the tidal wave came down, crashing through the walls of the quidditch stadium, bringing down the nearest spectator towers with it, and enveloping Lucius Malfoy where he stood. The pitch looked like a giant swirling ocean of despair, setting wooden beams, charred pieces of canvas, and the corpses of Death Eaters afloat on its crashing tides.  
  
A few terrifying minutes later, the quidditch field lay in a shambles, the mood eerily peaceful. Death Eaters, the Order of the Phoenix, and Dumbledore's army all peered down from their brooms and towers in a frightening show of solidarity for a few brief, tense moments. Each side had sustained casualties. Both were suffering from a great deal of exhaustion. The flood had provided them with a moment to rest, and neither side would resume battle a moment too soon. Finally, the floodwater began to recede.  
  
----  
  
A/N: Translation to Lucius' incantation:  
  
Gods of the sea  
Send me your shore  
Gods of the tide  
Bring me a flood 


	12. Ch 11 Closure

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Chapter 11 – Closure  
  
----  
  
The water receded, leaving the pitch littered with charred wooden beams and corpses. A single harrowing figure stood in the middle, bathed in moonlight, and clad in lavish robes of the blackest of black. But it wasn't Lucius Malfoy.  
  
"Cowards! Where are my faithful Death Eaters? Indolent fools! Do years of service and sacrifice mean nothing to you? Where is the bloodshed I was promised! Do you dare to oppose the Dark Lord Voldemort?" His icy metallic voice rang out over the field. "Shall anyone stand to face me? Or do you surrender? Shall I claim my victory over the Light? Is the wizarding world mine to rule yet?" His shrill cackle rang painful in the cowering ears of all who stood by, watching in awe and terror, but also a slight degree of humor, as his claims were somewhat lofty for someone standing in the middle of a vast ruined nothingness.  
  
Harry and Snape mounted their brooms and cautiously flew down to the pitch.   
  
"Ah, Severus. My faithful servant," Voldemort said with a sarcastic and evil sneer. "I doubted you from the moment you came crawling back on your hands and knees begging for forgiveness. You are as evil, sly, underhanded, deceptive, two-faced, and sinister as you were when you took the Mark. I have trained you well. But your allegiance has failed you. Crucio!" With a cold laugh, Snape crumpled on the ground as excruciating spasms wracked his body.  
  
Harry pointed his wand, a fiercely determined look painted across his prematurely aged visage.   
  
"How dare you! You cruel, horrid…"  
  
"Harry, I dare because I can. And you, a boy no older than sixteen, dare to challenge the Dark Lord Voldemort?"  
  
Harry stood resolute, wand still pointed at his nemesis.   
  
"I dare because it was stated in a prophecy that I must."  
  
"Foolish boy! Such a poor motivation! It is left on your shoulders to save the entire wizarding world, and your only motivation to kill me is a prophecy? Do you scoff at the Lord Voldemort's powers because a charlatan of a seer said you should?"   
  
Voldemort circled Harry, idly twirling his wand with a disturbing air of confidence.   
  
"You did not defeat me at the age of eleven because of your dear mudblood mother, simply avoiding my wrath for another year. You defeated a shadow of my past, but only because of that fleabag old bird of Dumbledore's. You could not face down my right-hand man when you were thirteen. I killed your little friend after the Triwizard Tournament, and you barely escaped with your life on a shot of luck. The only reason I did not kill you at the Ministry of Magic was because that doddering old fool of a wizard Dumbledore came to your defense. And now, you stand face to face with your nemesis. I marked you for the slaughter when you were an infant, and now I plan to uphold my end of the prophecy. And you dare to challenge me again because of a little glass ball."  
  
"No. I dare to challenge you to destroy a wizard who is my equal only because he was foolish enough not to check the prophecy twice before acting. Should have checked the prophecy again. You could be fighting Neville Longbottom of all people…"  
  
"HEY! I resent that!" came from one of the remaining towers, but Harry went on.  
  
"Neville Longbottom, who couldn't do an Impediment Jinx to save his life. Neville Longbottom, who's so scared of his own shadow that he looks behind him every few steps to make sure it's still following at a safe distance. THAT Neville Longbottom. If you hadn't been so foolish as to assume that I was the one in the prophecy, the Dark could have defeated the Light ages ago, and all would be right in your world. But no. You're foolish, Riddle. Very foolish indeed."   
  
While Harry was giving his speech, quite the angry mob had formed on the pitch. Hermione had run down the stairs of one of the spectator towers shortly after Snape had gone down, and was now crouched down to check on him. Ginny, the Weasley twins, Angelina Johnson, Lee Jordan, Tonks, Neville, Mundungus, Lupin, Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Sturgis Podmore, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Mad-Eye Moody had all made their way down to the pitch and were now gathered behind, and various other DA and Order members flew above on brooms. The Death Eaters continued to cower wherever they were, more out of fear of their Lord than fear of Dumbledore's forces of the Light.  
  
"Boy, I could take out that entire group of yours with a single spell!"  
  
"I'd like to see you try." They entire group raised their wands and pointed them straight at Voldemort.  
  
"I have no fear for your cohorts! Their powers were not named in the prophecy! Expelliarmus!" He fired the jinx at the group at large and managed to knock a fair few wands loose. The group ran for the moat, those with wands protecting the wandless. Only Snape, Ginny, Fred, George, Neville, Tonks, and Hermione remained at Harry's side, wands clutched firmly at their sides.  
  
"You see how easily I send your little friends running?"  
  
"And where are your little friends? I'm not afraid of you, Tom Marvolo Riddle."  
  
"Do not call me by my filthy muggle father's name! I am Lord Voldemort! You shall fear everything that name stands for!"  
  
The two drew their wands, both unwaveringly staring each other down, poised to duel at any moment.   
  
Harry dropped his wand, raised his hands parallel to his head in resignation, and said in his best mocking deadpan voice, "You're right. You are far more powerful than I will ever be. I fear you and everything you stand for."  
  
"Enjoy your last moments, for I will torment you beyond your wildest fears, then send you to rot with your filthy mudblood mother! CRU—"  
  
But Snape had drawn his wand and tossed it into Harry's waiting hand. Harry raised the ebony weapon and, with all the fury stored up in his veins, screamed the two words the Dark Lord Voldemort had dreaded would come from the young boy.  
  
A flash of green light later, Lord Voldemort lay dead on the ground by Harry Potter's hand, but Severus Snape's wand. Between them, they had overcome the most-feared wizard in history, the prophecy, and the curse of the phoenix-feathered brother-wands.  
  
----  
  
Harry stood in the center of the pitch, clutching his uncle's wand, chest heaving in disbelief, and gazing at the crumpled form before him.  
  
After letting reality sink in for a moment, Ginny ran to her boyfriend and held him in the tightest of hugs, not daring to let go any time soon. Hermione soon joined in, clinging to her best friend for dear life. Almost immediately, the entire DA was on their leader, cheering, screaming, laughing, and patting him on the back. Harry looked down at the two most important women in his life, kissed Ginny on the forehead, then looked at Hermione.  
  
"You think I should have thrown in a 'My name is Harry Potter. You killed my parents. Prepare to die.' Just for good measure?"  
  
Hermione laughed, then tackled him and Ginny to the ground, leaving the Army and the Order to their screaming, laughing, crying group hugs around them. Harry's roommates soon joined in on the Harry-dog pile.   
  
Ron limped over from where he was hiding, still rather sore from the failed Avada Kedavra he had received. He pushed and shoved his way through the celebrating masses and stood over his group of friends who were rolling on the ground and laughing.   
  
"Oi! Save us some room, will ya!" He leapt on top, and was soon enveloped in the rolling, group-hugging, hysterical group of teenagers.  
  
Dumbledore looked around the quidditch stadium from the spectator tower where he had been observing the battle, a deep sense of triumph running through his veins. A grin spread across his face as he raised his wand and levitated the body of the Dark Lord Voldemort up to the tallest goal post in the quidditch field and cast a binding spell. As everyone celebrated below, he repeated the process on the rest of the deceased Death Eaters.  
  
It was a sight to behold: The defeated members of the Dark, all hanging in effigy around the quidditch stadium. 


	13. Ch 12 Tranquility

Chapter 12 - Tranquility  
  
Dumbledore apparated down from the tower from which he had been observing the battle. He had promised himself after the first defeat of the Dark Lord and the demise of the Potters that he would not interfere in the final downfall of Voldemort. This did not mean he couldn't guide Harry in the right direction over the years. He arrived back on the field and allowed his Order and Army to celebrate and scream until they were near passing out from all the excitement. After a good half hour of screaming, jumping, and laughing, everyone lounged about on the grass, gazing up at the tranquil image of the stars and reveling in the newfound state of calm that enveloped the wizarding world. Dumbledore approached.  
  
"Everyone comfortable?"  
  
Grunts and sighs of approval sounded around the pitch.   
  
"I believe the rest of the school is cowering in the Great Hall and waiting for word on the outcome."  
  
More grunts of agreement came from the lounging masses.  
  
"Does anyone care to join me in going back up?"  
  
A few grunts of disapproval.  
  
Muttering a few choice swear words, Professor Snape propped himself up on his elbows, and began the arduous process of disentangling himself from the euphoric but exhausted mass of people who were sprawled out on the lawn.  
  
"Alright, you lot. Get off. Enough of this nonsense."   
  
He prodded Hermione in the ribs to get her head off his chest where it had been nestled, pushed Harry's feet off his legs, dragged his own feet out of Tonks' lap, and tickled the bottom of Ginny's feet, which had been sprawled out near his head. Ginny giggled, which started Harry laughing, making Ginny laugh even louder because Harry's stomach was fluttering under her head. Snape pushed himself off the ground, brushed the grass off his Death Eater's robes, and hoped his dignity was still somewhere near in tact. Now that Voldemort was gone, he figured it wouldn't kill him to let his guard down just a bit. Okay, a lot. Euphoria was a powerful drug to which he was not accustomed. Not that he objected.  
  
"I have an announcement to make!"   
  
Ron tilted his head up from its comfortable pillow of Hermione's thigh. Everyone else just perked their ears up.   
  
"Dumbledore's Army and the Order are cordially invited to Snape Estates for a party in my nephew's honor. Were it not for him, I would still be serving that lumpy git up there," he pointed to Riddle's body on the goal post. "So, at eight o'clock tonight, I will open the doors to my home in Godric's Hollow. Dress robes please, as I believe we have a momentous occasion to celebrate!"  
  
Jaws across the pitch dropped in surprise, and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled like they had never twinkled before. He knew his Potions Master would come around, and he had Harry Potter to thank for it. Though it did take nearly twenty years to accomplish.  
  
"Well, I believe I have a party to get ready for." Hermione stood and stretched, then extended a hand down to Ginny, who she pulled up from the ground. "I need you to help me pick out an outfit," she added, glancing at Severus, who was giving directions to his house to a few members of the Army. The two of them made their way back to the school, leaving Harry, Ron, and the twins looking on and smirking.  
  
"Apparate from Hogsmeade to Godric's Hollow. Never mind that, I'll set out some portkeys in the Great Hall. From the apparating point, you'll see the post office on your left. Make a left on Gryffindor Road, go another 200 yards, you'll come across a dirt road called Snape Estates Lane. Simply follow that up the hill. The password at the gate is 'Possunt quia posse videntur.' Ring the bell at the front door, and a house elf will be along to let you in."  
  
"Thank you professor!"  
  
"You're very welcome, Mr. Creevy, Miss Abbott." Colin and Hannah trudged back out of the stadium and up the hill back to school, followed by Dennis and a few of the other Hufflepuffs.   
  
Eventually, the last of the revelers were making their way back up the path to the school, leaving the stadium in a silent shambles. Dumbledore turned around and looked down on the destruction. He sighed and thought about all the jovial quidditch games he had watched there over the years. He would erect a new quidditch stadium nearer to Hogsmeade over the summer and invite the villagers to come watch games from then on. He'd clean this one up and leave it as a memorial to all those who had fallen under the wrath of Voldemort. The Potters, The Longbottoms, Sirius Black, Ian Quirrel, Bertha Jorkins, Marlene McKinnon, Benjy Fenwick, Edgar and Amy Bones, Caradoc Dearborn, Gideon and Fabian Prewett, Dorcas Meadowes, now Charlie Weasley, and his former student Draco Malfoy. Turning back to follow the crowd, he cast a final glance over his shoulder, then turned his thoughts to which set of dress robes he'd wear tonight.  
  
----  
  
He arrived in the Great Hall to find the rest of the school huddled in corners, some crying, others looking beyond worried, and still a few more playing half-assed games of gobstones and exploding snap. A cluster of Slytherins sat in a corner laughing and talking excitedly.  
  
"May I have everyone's attention?" The students and staff looked up at him, eagerly awaiting news from the stadium.  
  
"The battle against the Death Eaters was a success." A great cheer went up around the hall, but Dumbledore silenced them with a raise of his hands.   
  
"Voldemort made an appearance at the end, and Harry Potter valiantly defeated him! The wizarding world is free of his wrath at last!" The cheer that went up this time was far louder than the first, and students began bouncing off the walls in excitement. He somehow managed to silence them again.  
  
"Classes are cancelled next week, and there will be a feast here this evening at eight o'clock! The Hogwarts Express leaves for London at noon tomorrow, and will leave London next Sunday at eleven in the morning as usual." The cheer this time around was so loud that magic alone was holding the windows of the Great Hall in place.  
  
----  
  
"Right, the green one, or the blue one?" Hermione asked Ginny, holding up the two dresses on their hangers in turn.   
  
"The blue one's got a great cut, but the green really brings out your eyes."  
  
"Well I can't ruddy well just mush them into one dress, now can I?"  
  
"No, but you can transfigure them."  
  
"This is true." She grinned at Ginny, tossed the dresses on the bed, then waved her wand over them, muttering some latin. The blue chiffon dress faded to a rich shimmering shade of olive green.   
  
"Brilliant. Now turn around."  
  
"Oh come on. You've got nothing I haven't seen before."  
  
"Yeah, but I'm going to wear my lucky bra and knickers, and I don't want you to know which pair they are in case you try to steal them."  
  
"Really now, Mi, I don't think that'll be a problem. If I want to get lucky, I just have to say 'Oi, Harry, I'm all hot and bothered. Fancy a go?'"  
  
Hermione laughed, pulled off her robes, and went to her bedside table. She pulled out a lacey nude-colored bra and equally frilly boyshorts-cut knickers and pulled them on.  
  
Ginny was completely caught off guard and stared at Hermione in her lingerie.   
  
"So, who's the lucky guy whose eyes'll bug out at the end of the night?"  
  
Hermione laughed and pushed Ginny, then shoved the green dress into her arms.   
  
"Help me get this ruddy thing over my head, will you?"  
  
Ginny held up the ample chiffon skirts and Hermione shuffled herself inside. Ginny pulled the zipper up the back and gazed in awe at her friend in the mirror. Hermione gazed too, but looked rather disappointed.   
  
"I look like a sack of barley."  
  
"Oh no you don't, Mi. You look incredible. Really. I've got the perfect sandals and necklace for it. Don't move."  
  
Hermione obediently complied, and looked at her reflection again. The tight sleeveless bodice of bunched chiffon clung to her chest, emphasizing her ample bosom. Layers and waves of the satiny chiffon fabric hung from her waist, ending just below her well-defined calves. Turning to the side a bit, she saw a large chiffon bow perched atop her bum, the ends cascading down the back of the dress.  
  
Ginny came scampering back into the room clutching a strappy pair of sandals and a green beaded necklace with an elaborate chevron of beads hanging from the center.   
  
"I figure you can probably transfigure the color to match your dress. I wore these to the Yule Ball last year, but they're all still in perfect condition. Fred and George got them for me."  
  
"They're perfect. Thank you so much Ginny."  
  
"Right, I'll just go get dressed now. Mind if I borrow your other dress? The one that's blue now..."  
  
"Yeah, sure. No problem. I'll be over to look in on you in a bit."  
  
---- 


	14. Ch 13 Celebration

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Things have been hectic. Then I caught some kinda stomach bug. But I gave you a few bonus chapters. Keep your fingers crossed or hands folded in prayer for me to finish this thing before I leave on August 2nd.   
  
----  
  
Chapter 13 – Celebration  
  
----  
  
Hermione and Ginny sauntered down the stairs to the entrance hall in their elegant transfigured gowns. At the bottom of the stairs, they met up with Luna, Lavender, Padma and Parvati, and Cho, all decked out in their finest gowns, cloaks draped over their arms and handbags clutched tightly in their fists. They approached the doors to the Great Hall, where Professor Snape said they would find portkeys that would take them to his Estate. They met Justin Finch-Fletchley and Susan Bones on their way in.   
  
"You ladies going to the party at Professor Snape's I assume?"  
  
"Of course. How about you two?"  
  
"Naturally. Snape left these here with us and asked us to hand them out." Justin pointed at a small table next to the doors containing an assortment of party hats, flower leis, and various noisemakers.   
  
"Pick them up and you'll find yourself at the apparating point in Godric's Hollow." Said Susan, her arm wrapped tightly around Justin's.   
  
"Great. We'll see you there in a bit then." Said Ginny, picking up one of the party hats.   
  
Suddenly, she found herself standing under a street lamp next to a park bench in Godric's Hollow. Hermione appeared beside her.  
  
"These are kind of cute, actually." Hermione pulled on her party hat.  
  
"Yeah, who thought Snape could pick something like these out?" Ginny draped her lei around her neck. Moments later, they were joined by the rest of the girls from the entrance hall.  
  
"Shall we be going then?" Said Cho, adjusting the bodice of her dress.  
  
"Where'd Colin say we had to go?" asked Lavender.   
  
"Past the post office, left up Gryffindor Road, then up Snape Estates Lane. Shouldn't be too difficult. I think I see the house up on the hill there."  
  
The group made their way down the cobblestone streets of Godric's Hollow, finally arriving at the entrance gates to Snape Estates. A house elf wearing a rather shoddy but warm looking gray sweater greeted them at the gates.  
  
"Hullo Misses. Have the password?"  
  
"Oh, what did Colin say it was... Possunt quia posse videntur."  
  
"Correct. Up the driveway and to the right, please. Polly will meet you at the door to take your coats." The girls proceeded up the driveway and rounded a bend. Before them stood a stunning lavish white Victorian manor, bathed in gleaming blue moonlight. Music blared from it, and the lights in the west side of the first floor windows flashed to the beat.   
  
"Well, we found it. When did Snape get such good musical taste?" Parvati asked Padma, who simply shrugged.  
  
Luna lifted the large ivy leaf-shaped knocker on the door and knocked three times. The door opened without so much as a creek, and a small house elf in another gray sweater appeared at the door, only she had a pale pink sash tied around her waist and a charming pink hat perched on her large flappy ears.   
  
"Good Evening, Misses. Welcome to Snape Estates. May I take your cloaks?" the small elf recited, obviously well rehearsed. The girls stepped into the entrance hall and peeled off their cloaks. Polly climbed a stepladder in the closet in the foyer, and the girls handed her their cloaks one by one.   
  
"Polly will show Misses the way to the party. Please follow."   
  
Polly descended the stepladder and led them through the foyer and down a hallway, where they met Angelina Johnson, who was just stepping out of the powder room.   
  
"Evening, girls. Just get here?"   
  
"Yeah. Is everyone else here already?"  
  
"For the most part. I'll just walk with you the rest of the way."  
  
Polly led them out into a large ballroom that occupied most of the west side of the house. Two of the walls of the ballroom were windows facing out over the twinkling lights of Godric's Hollow below, a large set of French doors standing open at one end. A middle-aged wizard stood in the windowed corner in what appeared to be a DJ booth with a tall dark-haired girl in a deep maroon gown who was handing him muggle CDs one by one and talking to him over the music.   
  
At the other end of the room along the wall was a series of benches, mostly occupied by members of the Order of the Phoenix already. Dumbledore stood in one corner, chatting animatedly with Professor McGonagall, another tall gray-bearded wizard, and a middle-aged witch with red hair that fell to the middle of her back.   
  
Angelina, Ginny and Hermione broke away from the group of girls and approached a small cluster of boys in the other corner of the room. Angie wrapped her arms around Fred from behind and placed a kiss on his cheek. Ginny took hold of Harry's hand, and she and Hermione made their way into the circle.  
  
"You know, I don't know how to feel. I'm just a wash of emotions right now," said Ron with sad eyes. He tried in vain to plaster a smile across his features. "Evening Hermione, Ginny."  
  
Ginny loosened her grip on Harry's hand and hugged her brother. "Charlie would want us to be happy tonight. You know he would."  
  
Ron sighed deeply into his sister's hair and slowly let go of her. "I'm trying, Gin."  
  
"Hermione, fancy a glass of punch? Seems Snape's potions talents only rival his drink mixing abilities." George held out his elbow, Hermione tucked her hand through his arm, and they made their way to the refreshments table.   
  
"How are you holding up?"  
  
"I'm alright. It's mum I'm worried about. Mrs. Longbottom, Emmeline, and Hestia are all talking to her in the study right now. I think she'll be alright though. Just need to give everyone time."  
  
"I'm sorry, George."  
  
"Don't be. It's not your fault that Charlie died, now is it?" He poured her a glass of punch, then one for himself, and escorted her out onto the balcony.  
  
"You have to wonder how many other wizards and witches are out there partying right now like we are. I'm sure news spread fast."  
  
"No doubt. I wonder how many Death Eaters are cowering in their dungeons and cellars right now." Hermione smirked at George.  
  
"I saw those binding spells you got off on some of them. Those were really something."  
  
"It was nothing, really." She gazed at a lump of pineapple that was sitting idly at the bottom of her glass. "Thank you again."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Coming down on your broom and saving my arse."  
  
"Aw, don't mention it. I'm sure you would have done the same for me."  
  
"Sure, if I wasn't complete rubbish on a broom. I never told anyone this, but Justin Finch-Fletchley and I bribed Madam Hooch into giving us remedial flying lessons on weekends back in first year. I made him promise by threat of hexing him into oblivion that he wouldn't tell anyone."  
  
George chuckled into his punch glass and gave Hermione a thoughtful look over the rim.   
  
"You really are a piece of work, aren't you Miss Granger?"  
  
"That's what they all say. Personally, I'd say you and Fred are two of the smartest wizards I've ever met."  
  
"Oh come on, we own a joke shop. That's really nothing noteworthy."  
  
"Well think about it. All the jokes you formulated over the years. The skiving snackboxes, for one. I'm sure you two were top of your potions class. And the trick wands? Transfiguration at its finest." George blushed furiously. "And the shop's been running smoothly for a year now. Ginny tells me business is booming?"  
  
"It is. Profits have gone up nearly 200 percent since we opened."  
  
"And a brilliant businessman at that."  
  
The two stood in awkward silence for a moment.  
  
"I suppose we should be getting back inside. It's getting a bit chilly out here now. I think Snape's warming charm on the balcony's wearing off finally." George held out his arm again and led Hermione back into the ballroom. 


	15. Ch 14 Hanky?

----  
  
Chapter 14 – Hanky?  
  
----  
  
A funky beat blasted from the speakers in the corners of the room, and a mass of bodies stood gyrating in the center of the room. Angelina clung to Fred, both dancing like there was no tomorrow, Neville tried in vain to keep up with Tonks' crazy dance moves, Susan and Justin just sort of swayed where they stood, neatly pressed together like they were holding a few galleons worth of sickles between them, and Dean and Parvati just stood there snogging.  
  
Ron, Harry, and Ginny stood near the punch bowl, discussing the vast intricacies of muggle pop music, when Professor Snape approached with a tall, young, dark-haired witch in a deep maroon dress on his arm.  
  
"Good evening Harry, Mr. Weasley, Miss Weasley. May I introduce you to my daughter, Sephera Snape?"  
  
A few jaws dropped, but were quickly recovered. Each shook hands with her in turn.  
  
"Ginny Weasley."  
  
"Ron Weasley."  
  
"Harry Potter."  
  
"Oh! Yeah! You're my cousin! Dad told me all about you. By the way, congratulations on that final blow on Voldemort. Dad said you got a great shot off on him with his wand."  
  
"It was nothing, really."  
  
"Well it couldn't have been nothing if it finally brought down the ol' coot."  
  
"So, Sephera," Ron interjected. "I haven't seen you around Hogwarts."  
  
"Well you wouldn't have, now would you? And it's Phera. Dad wanted to keep me under wraps because of Voldie."  
  
"Dear, it's Voldemort." Snape threw in for good measure.  
  
"Dad, it's dead. I could call him lizard lips for all anyone cares."  
  
"So where did you go to school then?" Ron seemed quite taken with the new addition to their ranks.  
  
"San Francisco Academy for Young Witches and Wizards."  
  
"Which would explain the American accent."  
  
"I don't have an accent! You do!"  
  
"I do not thank-you-very-much! Phera, would you care to join me for a glass of punch on the balcony?"  
  
"Certainly! So what year are you in at Hogwarts?"  
  
The two wandered off to the refreshments table, leaving Ginny and Harry still looking rather shocked.   
  
"So I suppose you're wondering where she came from?"  
  
"Well, the thought did cross my mind once or twice." Harry looked at his uncle with eyebrows raised.  
  
"Well, after you got rid of Voldemort the first time, I went to Dumbledore for my teaching position at Hogwarts. A few days before the start of term, he hosted a ball for the professors of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. I met this lovely woman there, the charms professor at Beauxbaton. She was a veela. Brilliant young lady. We went out for a few weeks, until one evening, while we were enjoying a brandy by the fire in my rooms, Lucius decided to make an unexpected visit. He forced me to rape and torture her under the imperius, and nine months later, I found a little bundle of joy on my doorstep with a rather scathing note attached. You know how temperamental veelas can be. It read something like 'It's entirely your bleeding fault, you take her.' So for the first few years of her life she was raised by house elves while I was at Hogwarts, and whenever I'd come home for the summer, we'd go on trips into the muggle world. When she was old enough, I sent her to San Francisco for her schooling. I did everything I could to keep her hidden away from the Dark Lord. He could have used her in any number of ways against me."  
  
"That's incredible." Ginny held Harry's hand tighter.   
  
"I wouldn't change a minute of it. Except maybe the rape and torture part. Sephera's been the light of my life these last fifteen years." He looked over to the refreshments table where Sephera and Ron stood talking excitedly. "Merlin forbid she falls in love with your brother."  
  
"That would be tragic. Their kids would be part vampire, part veela, part Weasley," Ginny threw in with a grin.   
  
Severus stifled a laugh, but still let a near-genuine smile grace his hard-bitten features.   
  
"Well, as harrowing a thought as that is, I need to go to the kitchens and make sure the buffet is coming along well."  
  
----  
  
"Excuse me, Professor?" Hermione approached Snape on his way back from the kitchens.  
  
"Miss Granger?"  
  
"If you aren't too terribly busy, I was wondering if you might like to dance?" She asked hesitantly, her confidence dwindling with every word she uttered.  
  
"Yes, well. I believe that could be arranged. Mr. Dalton, would you be so kind as to skip to track eight?" He addressed the DJ and offered Hermione his arm. Once on the dance floor, he took her right hand in his left and placed his right hand at the small of her back. Hermione shuddered.  
  
"Miss Granger, I believe congratulations are in order for your capture of four Death Eaters."  
  
"Thank you, but really, it's nothing," she blushed. "You've done so much more for the Order. I should really be the one congratulating you for all of your admirable work which has led up to this point."  
  
"Flattery will get you nowhere, my dear. That is where your intellect comes into play."  
  
She blushed even more furiously. "Really Professor, I had no ulterior motives with that. You really have been an asset to the defeat of Voldemort."  
  
The two danced on, looking everywhere but at each other.   
  
"Professor? I meant to apologize for what I said in the corridors this morning…"  
  
"I believe that's yesterday morning. It's just after midnight."  
  
"That being as it may, it was rude of me and very uncalled for. I am sorry."  
  
"No, Hermione. You were right. I've been doing some thinking. Miss Weasley was just a substitute for Lily Evans. My… admiration… of her was quite irrational. Prodding into Ginny and Harry's private affairs is beneath me, much less trying to break them up for my benefit."  
  
They danced their way through another awkward pause that Hermione broke again.  
  
"This is going to sound just as irrational and insane…"  
  
"I never said insane."  
  
"Right, but I need to know. Do you see any chance, remote as it may be, and certainly not while I'm a student…" Snape let an exasperated sigh escape his lips. Hermione took a deep breath and blurted "Do you see any chance of a future for us?"  
  
"Hermione… what could you possibly want with a grumpy old codger like myself? I'm still the same horrible old potions master I always was, but with a weight lifted from my shoulders. You might see a bit more of the real Severus Snape from now on, but I'm still going to be a vile bastard." She smiled at him, but just when she was about to make a counter to his excuse, he interrupted. "Not to mention you're only a year older than my daughter. But really, Hermione, when I look at you, I see a bright young witch with a good head on her shoulders. I see myself when I was younger. You're a bookworm in the truest sense of the word. You have a deep thirst to prove yourself. I could see myself engaging you in deep intellectual conversations and even foresee myself asking you to perhaps be my lab aide somewhere in the future. Perhaps more. But no, I do not see you as a romantic partner."  
  
"Thank you. Really. I'm… flattered. That you might one day consider me as… a lab aide. Does that mean you could one day see me as… a research assistant? I've wanted to study potions more in depth for the longest time." The disappointment shone through in her voice, but she tried to keep her chin up. She failed miserably, and ended up counting the buttons on his frock coat. He nodded.  
  
"The thought has crossed my mind once or twice."  
  
The two continued to dance, but the tension between them couldn't have been cut with a hex.  
  
"So, are you enjoying yourself?"  
  
"Absolutely." It sounded a bit forced. "How did you pull all this together at the last minute?"  
  
"I called in a few favors over the floo. The DJ is a friend of Sephera's. She says he's done a few of the balls at the SFA. The food was done by the house elves. I flooed them straight away after I got back to my chambers after the battle." Hermione cringed. "You don't mind, do you?"  
  
Hermione smiled and shook her head. "And the punch? It's really great."   
  
"I made the punch. Potion making is hardly exclusive to magic. It's a concoction of champagne, sparkling mineral water, vodka, and tinned pineapple."  
  
"Tinned pineapple?" A smirk painted itself on her face.   
  
"Excuse me? May I cut in?"  
  
"Oh, of course. I believe introductions are in order. Hermione Granger, this is Athena Dumbledore, Professor Dumbledore's niece. She's the daughter of his brother Aberforth.  
  
"Pleasure to meet you."  
  
"Athena teaches arithmancy and ancient runes at the Salem Institute in America."  
  
"Incredible. We'll have to talk later. I'll leave you two to it then." 


	16. Ch 15 Panky!

----  
  
Chapter 15 – Panky!  
  
----  
  
Hermione left the two professors to their dancing and stormed off to the punch bowl. She filled a glass and promptly drained it, then filled another. George approached her, under the guise of filling his glass as well.   
  
"Terrific punch."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Is something wrong?"  
  
"I hate men."  
  
"Is that so?"  
  
"You're all horrible."  
  
"Thank you for lumping us all together. Two hours ago you were singing my praises. What brought this on?"  
  
"Snape's a spineless cad."  
  
"And this is new to you?"  
  
"No, but I thought he at least thought with his brain. The one up top, not between his legs."  
  
"No. All men do. It's a scientific fact that men don't have enough blood to share between the both of their brains. Ron's a prime example."  
  
"Why Ron?"  
  
"He's had a crush on you ever since he bailed you out of the girls' loo. Probably struck some macho chord with him. Anyway, he's just been too chicken to ever say something to you."  
  
"Wow. That's… wow. That's like, 5 years. I had no idea."  
  
"Well, surprise! But Ron's a prat. If he couldn't say anything by now, he doesn't deserve you."  
  
"I could never date him anyway. We're too good of friends and I don't have the heart to complicate matters. Maybe I'll crawl under a rock and become a hermit. Snape's too stupid, Ron's too thick. Where does that leave me?"  
  
"Hermione, listen to me." He took her punch glass from her and placed it on the table beside his, then took her hands in his. "You are beautiful, intelligent, and a really amazing woman. Any man would be damn lucky to have you."  
  
"Next you'll tell me I'm nice."  
  
"I didn't say that. Every moron knows that's the kiss of death. But I can name at least six Weasleys who absolutely love and adore you."  
  
Hermione tutted her denial.  
  
"Now give me a chance here." He held up a pair of their entwined hands and counted Weasleys on his fingers. "Mum and Dad love you because whenever you come over in the summer, you beat us kids into submission so they don't have to. Mum's really grateful for that. Fred is indebted to you for the transfigurations tutoring. Our business would be nothing without the trick wands that he's made since then." He grinned, then glanced over at Fred, who was viciously snogging Angelina in the opposite corner. "Disgusting. Anyway, Ginny loves you because it's hell growing up with six brothers. She likes having someone to talk to. I imagine she'll need you more than ever now, what with Charlie being gone." She gave George's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Ron loves you for the obvious reasons. I'd rather not go into those."  
  
"That's five."  
  
George pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it.  
  
"And I love you."   
  
Suddenly, everything came together and a look of recognition washed across her features. George seemed to have mistaken it for horror. He rushed to explain.   
  
"Hermione, you are the strongest woman I know. You're intelligent, independent, you've got a brilliant sense of humor. You know how to take situations in stride. I'm sure Harry would have been dead ages ago if it weren't for you. Sure, most guys find your strength intimidating, which explains why Ron turns into a quivering mass of goo whenever he's around you, but I think your strength is your most attractive attribute. Hermione, I think an intelligent girl is the biggest turn-on. You're so smart it's frighteningly sexy."  
  
"Wow, George. I really don't know what to say."  
  
"Then don't say anything. It's alright for the know-it-all of Gryffindor to be speechless once in a while." He used their conjoined hands for leverage and pulled Hermione closer to himself. Running his hands up her arms and to her shoulders, he pulled her upper body to his. With one hand at the back of her head and the other tracing the outline of her cheek, he tilted her chin up and met her with warm, soft, and sure lips.   
  
----  
  
"Glad we're not the only ones having fun," Angelina said, half out of breath, after finally breaking her kiss with Fred.  
  
"Took him bloody long enough."  
  
"How's that?"  
  
"George's been crazy about her since she spent the summer at the Burrow a few years ago. He's always bitched that if Ron didn't get his act together, he'd make his move. I wouldn't be too worried about ickle Ronnykins tonight though," he tilted his head toward the balcony.  
  
----  
  
"Merlin, Sephera. Where did you learn to do that… that thing with your tongue!" Ron's eyes nearly shot out of his head in surprise.   
  
"What, this?" She popped another cherry stem into her mouth, and seconds later, pulled it out in a perfect knot.  
  
"Yes! That's incredible!"  
  
"You know what they say about being able to do that, right?"  
  
"No… what do they say?"  
  
Sephera giggled and wrapped her hands around Ron's neck, pulling him in for their third kiss of the evening. They had somehow managed to keep the first two sweet, but this one was something entirely different.  
  
They finally broke for air, and Ron blushed six shades of red. "Oh, is that what they say?" He rested his forehead on hers and looked utterly content. Sephera twisted her eyes and looked to her left, off to the other end of the balcony. Ron followed her gaze.  
  
"Your friend over there seems to have some talents of his own going…"  
  
Ron laughed and shook his head. "Oi, Neville! The night is young, and the tongue was cleverly designed to serve higher purposes! Save some of your strength!"  
  
----  
  
Neville broke the lengthy snog he had just been sharing with Tonks and blushed something like a tomato-red. Tonks nestled her head into his shoulder, bright pink hair rivaling his bright pink face. He averted his gaze to look out over Godric's Hollow.  
  
"Heh, that Ron… he's really something, really… funny. Likes toying with me…" maybe keeping up the nervous giggle would make Tonks forget why he was blushing.  
  
"Oh Neville, you're so cute when you do that."  
  
"Oh Merlin, what did I do this time?" He glanced around nervously, wondering if there were any cauldrons around to spill. Bad enough he was in the dreaded potions master's house.  
  
"No, silly. I mean when you blush like that. It's so endearing."  
  
"Oh, right." His pink went pinker.  
  
"Why didn't I ever see it before? There you were, all those years, pining away for me. That summer after your fourth year when you came home from Hogwarts, I thought my eyes were going to bug out of my skull. It was really amazing what one year did for you. Oh will you quit blushing already?"  
  
"I'm sorry. Just… no one's ever…"  
  
"No one's ever told you how attractive you are?"  
  
"Well… yeah."  
  
"Well get used to it, love. You really have gotten to be a stunning piece of work, Neville Longbottom."  
  
"Tonks, you flatter me."  
  
"I thought I told you to stop blushing!"  
  
"I can't help it! You're just so… cute! I never thought I'd ever find anyone like you. I mean, that's not to say I've been completely without dates this past year. Lavender talked a fifth year Hufflepuff into asking me out, but it didn't work out. I think it was more a pity date than anything else."  
  
"Oh Nev, that's so horrible." She clung to him tighter, keeping her head tucked under his chin. He took a deep breath and faintly smelled something like a cross between peppermint and jasmine. "You know, Tonks, I don't think I've ever seen you in your true form."  
  
"Yes, well… I don't like to…"  
  
"Come on. Weren't you the one who told me earlier that it's all in the personality anyway?"  
  
"I suppose…" She scrunched up her face, and the pink hair and pointy features melted into a long, straight brunette ponytail, button nose, and pouty lips. Her hazel eyes were graced with long, thick eyelashes, with a teeny mole hidden under her left eyelid.   
  
"Oh Merlin! That's something I never wanted to see!"  
  
"EXCUSE ME?!" she squeaked, tears already forming in her eyes.  
  
"No! Oh Tonks, I'm so sorry! No, you're absolutely breathtaking!" He sealed his statement with a chaste kiss. "But I could have died happy without seeing that!" He poked his thumb toward the other end of the room.  
  
"Ugh, I see what you mean." 


	17. Ch 16 Purged

----  
  
Chapter 16 – Purged

----  
  
"Sweet Athena. Brilliant mind and lips to match." Severus and Athena had moved from the dance floor and were currently perched on one of the benches along the side of the ballroom.   
  
"Uncle Albus told me you're the third-highest rated potions master in the wizarding world, but he never told me you were such an incredible kisser. Not that I'd expect him to know that…"  
  
"How would you know?" He raised an eyebrow and Athena cringed.  
  
"Only joking. Merlin, that felt good. I can joke around without feeling like I'm covering for something."  
  
"I'll bet you're feeling relieved now?"  
  
"Relieved? That sounds like I've finally let out a belch I've been holding. No, my dear. This is more than relief. I'm ecstatic. I'm elated. I'm… yes, I suppose I'm relieved."  
  
Athena laughed and kissed him again.  
  
"You know, as delicious as you are, I should check on the house elves again. Dinner, if you can call it that at this late hour, should be served soon."  
  
"May I join you?"  
  
"I suppose so."  
  
He took her hand and led her down the corridor, past the powder room and toward the foyer. He stopped in front of a broom closet and raised an eyebrow.   
  
"Mr. Thomas, Miss Patil, I believe you're very fortunate that I can't take points off away from school. Do aim to show a bit of discretion. And remind Mr. Finnegan and Miss Brown that my broom closet was not designed for that sort of activity." The two continued into the foyer.  
  
----  
  
Seamus climbed out of the broom closet holding Lavender's hand.   
  
"How the bleedin' hell does he do that?" he wiped a bit of lipstick from his upper lip and straightened his tie. Dean shrugged then poked Parvati in the ribs, which did nothing to quell her giggling.   
  
Dean sighed in mock resignation. "Honestly, this afternoon you girls looked death square in the eye, and tonight you're all giggles. I will never understand you lot."  
  
Parvati and Lavender kept laughing, then half-stumbled half-ran to the powder room hand-in-hand, looking back at their boyfriends for a moment before entering, then continued giggling on their way in.   
  
"How do they do it, you reckon? Charlie snuffs it, Draco gets what he's got coming to him, Harry offs Voldemort, and they still manage to be mysterious girls."  
  
"You've got lipstick on your collar, mate." Dean pointed at Seamus' shirt.   
  
"Bugger." Seamus looked down. Dean flicked Seamus' nose.  
  
"Got ya. There's nothing. Man, you need to stop analyzing them and just enjoy them. Girls aren't meant to be understood. Just kiss them a lot and squeeze the right bits, and they're happy."  
  
Snape came back down the corridor wearing a loose white silk shirt, his usual black pants, his hair tyed back in a pony tail, and carrying an overflowing laundry basket. Athena was behind him carrying a cardboard box full of what looked like white wooden cutouts.   
  
"Mr. Finnegan, Mr. Thomas, follow me. And remind your girlfriends that a powder room is just that. If it had been designed for gossip, it would have been called a gossip room."  
  
The two young men just stared after the couple as they walked back into the ballroom. Dean knocked on the powder room door.  
  
"Girls, Snape wants everyone in the ballroom." Another burst of giggles came from behind the closed door.  
  
"Oh come on, what could be so amusing?"  
  
The door opened a crack and Lavender stuck her head out. "Dean, you really need to teach Seamus that… that one… that thing you do with your tongue! Parvati won't stop blushing!"  
  
"Oh really now! Out!" Seamus grinned and pulled Lavender from the bathroom, placing a short kiss on her lips. "Come on, before Snape goes bonkers."  
  
The two couples made their way out to the ballroom.   
  
----  
  
"The house elves have informed me that dinner will be served shortly. But first, I'd like everyone to join me out in the gardens. I believe I have a past to burry," Professor Snape addressed the revelers.  
  
He led the procession out of the ballroom and onto the balcony, then down a small spiral staircase, all the while still clutching his laundry basket. He led the group down a row of trees and into a hedge-enclosed area. In the center, set into the ground, was a fire ring. Benches surrounded the small amphitheater.  
  
"I invite you all to have a seat." The group made themselves comfortable. "As you all know, I spent twenty years in service to the Dark Lord. Many of his gatherings were held at this very site. This next summer, I plan on digging up my gardens and having them completely redone. Perhaps more gatherings such as this one will be in order. Along with my change in landscape comes a change in wardrobe. I have here all of my old Death Eater robes. Athena is holding a box containing my Death Eater masks. Harry, if you'll join me over here please."  
  
Harry stood from where he was sitting between Ginny and Sephera, and made his way over to his uncle.  
  
"Harry, if you'll be so kind as to throw this mask and robe into the ring. I wore these the night your parents were murdered. That was the night I realized that my life had taken a horrible turn for the worst. It was also the night I went back to Dumbledore to beg forgiveness."  
  
Harry looked to his uncle, then to Dumbledore, then down the hill at Godric's Hollow, where two blue lights shone into the night sky at the spot where his home had stood, the home where he had spent the first year of his life. The true significance of tonight's events dawned on him, and a tear slowly rolled down his cheek. He looked into the fire ring, and threw the robes in.   
  
"Remus, would you please throw this mask and robe in? This was the mask and robe I wore on the night when your brother Romulus took on Samson, Macpherson, and Nott single handedly. He killed Macphereson and Samson, but Nott murdered him in the end."  
  
Lupin looked to his long-time foe. Severus was truly remorseful for everything he had done, and now he was sharing his bit of closure with everyone he had affected. He took the robes from Severus, then shook his hand. They exchanged a look of understanding, thus clearing the air between them. Severus could change the past as much as Remus could. He bent down on one knee and placed the robes in the ring.  
  
"Padfoot and Prongs should have been here for this."   
  
Severus placed a hand on his shoulder. "They are. In spirit, they are."  
  
He took the last set of robes out of the laundry basket, and pulled the last mask from the box in Athena's arms.   
  
"These were the robes I wore during the final battle with the Dark Lord Voldemort. That was the last time I went back to spy for the Order of the Phoenix. It also marked the last time I would ever identify myself with the Death Eaters. Though it has been for a good cause these last few years, I will never forget the attrocities that I committed, or the horrors that I witnessed. May this bring me, and those around me, some closure."   
  
He placed the robes in the ring with the other two sets. Picking up a small box of matches, he removed one and struck it on the side of the box. He paused for a moment, closed his eyes, and inhaled a deep gulp of the crisp night air. He opened his eyes and threw the match into the fire ring.  
  
"Gods of Fire, Cleanse me of my sins. The past is history. May we never be doomed to repeat it."  
  
The group all bowed their heads for a minutes silence, punctuated only by the odd sniffle, for all those who had fallen.


End file.
